Going Back to Old Ways
by SLPikachu
Summary: Sequel to "A Sam Winchester Story." Sam gets a surprise, one morning and finds out he has no choice but to hunt, at least one more time to protect his kids even though he vowed he never would hunt again and soon learns there's something special about his little girl.
1. Chapter 1

**I finally got around to writing my sequel to _A Sam Winchester Story_! Been wanting to for a while, too even though I have two other unfinished stories. Critism is welcomed and considered.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Supernatural, CW and Eric Kripe does._**

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 1

"Jon! Your dad told you to get up, twice now! Get up!" Dean pounded on his nephew's bedroom door, several times. He could hear a groan coming from inside, but no sound of movement.

His niece, Mary came from her bedroom, dressed in a black sweatshirt, a white T-shirt, and sky blue basketball shorts, with dark blue stripes going down the sides. She also wore black tennis shoes. "Uncle Dean, when will you learn?" she asked, shaking her head. Dean watched as she walked between him and the door, shouting through it. "Jon, there is a pretty girl in a swimsuit, holding a plate of pancakes out here!"

Suddenly, not even two seconds later, the bedroom door was flung open, and there stood Jon, looking around. "Where is she?" he asked. Jon fell for his little sister's tricks every time. When he saw there was no pretty girl, holding a plate of pancakes, he scowled at his sister as she walked down the hall, laughing. "You're gonna get it later, Mary!"

Mary turned, walking backwards. "Oh, I'm so scared, Jon," she continued laughing, before walking forward again.

Jon turned to his uncle, looking for sympathy. "Can you believe my sister, sometimes? Sure she isn't adopted?"

Dean looked down at his nephew. "I'm sure. Now get dressed and don't make me have to come back." He walked back down the hall, going the same direction, Mary went. "I'm leaving today, and I want to say good-bye before you have to leave for school." Dean said back over his left shoulder.

Jon stepped back into his bedroom, shutting the door so he could get dressed in private.

It had been four years since that terrible day. Since Mary was so young at the time, she didn't really remember what happened, but Sam, Dean, and Jon remembered, clearly and it still haunted them to this day. Sam finally moved his kids out of that small apartment and found a large house, big enough for everyone to have their own room, even a home office for himself.

Dean even stayed there, every few months before he went off hunting again. He usually was gone for two, three months tops. He tried to stay a part of his niece and nephew's lives as much as he could. Whenever Jon's little league team made it to the championship, Dean always came home to support him. He called in, every night because Mary couldn't fall asleep without hearing her favorite uncle's voice.

Every now and then, Castiel would pop in to say hello. He had been busy with other stuff, so the visit was usually brief, but it wasn't like Castiel was trying to avoid them.

They lived on the outskirts of a small town, where everyone knew each other. It was quiet and Sam loved it. It had plenty of room for the kids to play outside whenever they wanted. There was woods down the road, but Sam had warned his kids many times not to go anywhere near them unless he or Dean was with them.

Jon was the sports player of the two of them, naturally. He loved all sports and has played football, baseball, and basketball several times over the last three years. He was pretty good in school, but nowhere near honors. Jon was mostly a B student and if he wanted to continue with sports, he had to make sure his grades didn't fall below a C. Sam wanted his kids to succeed, but he didn't push them to over achieve. He knew what their limits were, and helped them when they needed it.

Mary was one of the top students in her class, and one of the few who were already reading children's chapter books. Her favorite was _Ralph_, a book about a mouse who rides a toy motorcycle. Sam knew Mary was just like him, almost a mini version.

Jon was just like his uncle, though. After Sam told him about how Dean used to watch out for him, Jon took on the same role to watch out for his sister. He made sure Mary got to her classroom every morning, and helped her when she needed it, like pouring a bowl of cereal or glass of milk or juice. If Mary was picked on, Jon would confront whoever was doing it. He couldn't hit them since he was four years older, but he scared them into stopping. Jon didn't get into fights anymore like he used to.

Mary had sat at the kitchen table when she had come downstairs. "Good morning, Daddy," she greeted her father, who was busy making everyone's lunch and breakfast.

Sam looked up from frying leftover ham from the night before. He smiled at his youngest, "Good morning, Mary. Are you all ready for school?"

"Yeah," she replied.

"You're not trying to sneak out of the house, wearing shorts again, are you?" he warned.

Mary hesitated, which Sam knew the truth.

"Go change, Mary Joanne," using her first and middle name.

"But, Daddy," she whined.

"Are you talking back to your father?" Dean had walked into the kitchen at that point. "Do you need your backside spanked?"

Mary quickly shook her head at her uncle.

"Then you better listen."

Mary slid off her chair and headed back, upstairs, defeated. Dean watched, sadly. He and Sam both hated being hard on them, but sometimes they had to.

When Mary was out of earshot, Dean turned his head towards his brother. "Already found my first job," he told him.

Sam asked, "Really?"  
"Yup, about a four-hour drive from here, too."

"Any idea what it could be?"

Dean shrugged. "Could be a shapeshifter, several kids at a local college goes missing, then suddenly turns up, killing their roommates."

Sam zipped Jon's _Pirates of the Caribbean _thermo lunchboxclosed. "Good luck," he told his older brother.

"Hey, I've taken down plenty of these," Dean said, trying to sound smooth.

"You're not as young as you used to be, Dean," Sam reminded him.

"What are you talking about, I'm fine."

Sam just sighed. He'd been trying to get his brother to quit ever since Dean moved in with them, but Dean won't listen. Sam turned off the stove and prepared everyone's plates, setting them on the table. "Dean, could you go tell the kids we're going to be late, if they don't hurry?" he asked of Dean, who was about to sit at his spot at the table.

Dean let out an irritated breath as he headed back, upstairs.

"Tell them the TV won't come on after dinner, tonight if we're late again," Sam called after him.

Dean pounded on both children's bedroom door. Jon came out, dressed in jeans and a Kansas City Chiefs, white sweatshirt, with a white T-shirt on, underneath and carrying his black backpack on one shoulder.

"Your father has breakfast ready," Dean told his nephew.

Jon nodded, heading downstairs.

Dean pounded on Mary's bedroom door again before he opened it, to find his niece, pouting on her bed and still wearing her shorts. "Really, it's the day I'm leaving and you act like this?" he asked of her.

Mary ignored her uncle.

"You're ten seconds away from a spanking, now quit pouting and change. It's freezing out there, Mary, you cannot wear shorts."

"But the cold doesn't bother me, Uncle Dean and it warms up by lunchtime," she told him.

"Mary, I'm not going to tell you again. Your father and I care about you and do not want you to get sick."

Mary reluctantly slid off of her bed and went over to her small dresser, taking out a pair of jeans. She closed it back and looked at her uncle. "Will you help me with the zipper?"

"Sure, kid." Dean walked over as his niece took off her shorts and put her jeans on. He kneeled on one knee and fastened them together, zipping up the zipper. Dean wrapped his arms around her, looking at her. "Hey, I'm gonna miss you kids while I'm gone."

"Why do you have to leave?" she asked, snuggled in his arms.

"I have to, I have to go save people from terrible things," he told her.

"I don't like when you're gone, Uncle Dean."

"I know, little one, but it's my job."

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed it tight. "I'll miss you."

Dean kissed the side of her head.

"You won't tell Daddy I was pouting, will you?" she finally asked from his left shoulder.

"No, not this time," he told her.

"Thanks, Uncle Dean."

Once the morning routine was complete, the Winchesters parted ways outside. Dean hugged and kissed his niece and nephew, good-bye, and hugged his brother. They watched as he got into the Impala and drove off before piling into Sam's white Ford Focus.

Sam drove to the school to drop the kids off. That was the one thing he didn't like about the house, it wasn't on a school bus route. On the bright side, at least the school was on the way to his job. Sam had gone back to school before his kids were born, where he met their mother in a coffee shop down the street from it. The marriage ended up, not lasting and now Sam was a widower and a single father, just like his father before him.

As Sam drove, his iPhone rang from his pocket. He reached inside his suit jacket, taking it out to look at the front of it. It was just a number and not one he recognized either. Answering it, he said into the phone, "this is Sam Winchester."

"Sam?"

Sam lowered his eyebrows at the voice. It couldn't be who he thought it was, it was impossible. Sam glanced in the rear-view mirror at his children and hushed his voice. "Dad?"

"Yeah, it's me, son. Can we meet somewhere? It's urgent."

"Uh, yeah," he replied. Sam wasn't sure to believe this man he was talking to. His father was dead, and there was no way he could be alive again. "I just have to make a stop somewhere first. Where are you?"

"A Chevron, on Route 303. I'm not the only one who's back, either," his father said.

"Who else is there?" Sam asked as Jon called from the backseat, "Dad, Mary is trying to put her boogers on me." Even though Jon loved and watched out for his sister, it did not mean she wasn't an annoying little sister. Mary loved teasing her big brother. Sam did not want to mention he had children yet, in case that wasn't really John, but out of reflex, he looked back in the rear-view mirror and scolded his daughter to stop, that it was disgusting.

"Who's Mary?" John asked when he heard his son say that.

"Uh, I'll tell you when I see you, I'm not fully trusting yet if it's really you," he replied.

"That's my boy," John told him.

Sam and John eventually hung up. When Sam pulled into the school parking lot, in front of the elementary school, he parked beside the curb and got out with his kids to hug and kiss them good-bye, sharing, _I love you_s. He watched them until they were safely inside, then got back into his car and drove to the Chevron on Route 303.

When he pulled into the parking lot, sure enough, there was John, leaning against a green pick-up truck. Sam still wasn't convinced, though. He parked a ways away and went back to open his trunk. He unlocked a tin box, taking out a knife and a bottle of holy water. The gun he had in there, Sam put behind him before shutting the trunk and walked over to where John was now standing up, straight.

John gladly did the whole routine of making sure it really was him, and to Sam's surprise, Mary Senior stepped out of the truck as well, and took the "test."

"How are you both alive?" Sam questioned, confused out of his mind.

John shrugged, "We don't know. It just happened. So, now that you know it's us, who's Mary?"

Sam couldn't help but smile. He took his wallet from his back pocket and opened it up to take out a family photo, the four of them took last Christmas. Sam handed the photo to his father. "Mary's my daughter, and the boy is Jonathan, my son. Mary just turned six, last month and Jon will be eleven next month."

Mary Senior looked at the photo in her husband's hand. "They're beautiful, Sammy," she told him.

"Thanks, Mom." Sam couldn't believe he was able to show a photo of his children to his parents. It made him smile.

"Where's Dean?" John asked, looking up from the photo, passing it back to Sam.

Sam took it, returning it to his wallet. "He just left this morning on another hunting trip. He said, there may be a shapeshifter, four hours away." He put his wallet back in his pocket.

"Really?" said John. Sam noticed his father seemed annoyed. "That's one of the reasons why I wanted to see you. There's a creature right here in this town, too."

Sam asked, "What is it?"

"You have two kids and you haven't heard about the sudden attacks on children?"

Sam stared at his father. "Sudden attacks?" He then remembered the flyer, Jon and Little Mary had brought home from school a few days ago. "When Jon and Mary came home with those flyers, I just thought the flu was going around. I even made doctor's appointments to get them flu shots."

"Flu shots won't help them, Sammy," Mary Senior said. "We're dealing with a shtriga."

Sam backed away, shaking his head, "No, not here. Not near my kids. I got to be dreaming. Yeah, that's it, I'm still in bed, sleeping, and none of this is real."

John shrugged, "It's real, Sam. With Dean involved with another hunt, it's down to the three of us."

"No, I swore when my son was born, I was done hunting."

"You don't have a choice, Sam," John told him. "Your kids are at stake here, you have, too."

"Why can't you do it, then?" asked Sam.

John sighed, frustrated.

"Sam, I hate having you do this, too. I never wanted this for you and Dean, but it did and we have to accept it, at least one more time," said Mary Senior.

Sam ran his hand through his hair, the other in his pants pocket. He knew both his parents were right. He had to be a hunter, one more time, for his children.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 2

Sam drove to the hospital to begin their research on the shtriga. John followed behind, in his truck while Mary Sr. rode with Sam. She and Sam were talking.

"So, you're a father now," Mary was saying, "Seems like just yesterday I was holding you in my arms."

Sam smiled. "Seems like yesterday, I was holding my own kids in my arms, they grow up so fast."

She smiled, too. "Yes, they do." Mary stared at her youngest son. She couldn't believe how much, Sam has grown. He was tall, and handsome, with brown hair. His eyes were exactly as she remembered them, a dark green.

Sam took out his wallet again and opened it up on top of the steering wheel, taking out a baby picture of Jonathan and passed it to his mother. "This is Jon when he was a year old."

Mary took the picture, looking at it. "He is so precious, Sammy."

"I know, and he still is." Sam took another baby picture out, this time of little Mary and handed it to her. "This is little Mary, also a year old."

Mary took it, surprised to see how much her granddaughter looked like her father. "She looks so much like you did at that age," she said.

"She still does, Dean reminds me all the time how she's the spitting image of me, and not only that, but she's in the top of her class, too just like I was," Sam told his mother, proudly.

"What about Jon?" she asked, passing the pictures back.

Sam replaced them back inside his wallet and put that back into his back pocket. "Jon's my little jock. The kid loves everything sports. I have to remind him, if he wants to keep playing, he has to keep his grades up."

"How is he in school?"

"I'd say, about average," he replied. "He's not the top of his class, like his sister, but he's not at the bottom either. Once someone explains something to him, slowly, Jon understands completely. His second quarter report showed his grades were slipping a little, though because there's a cute girl in his class that he thinks about and keeps him from paying attention."

"He's thinking about girls already?" Mary asked, shocked to hear her eleven-year-old grandson is already into girls.

"Since he could talk, Jon liked girls," Sam replied. "The kid is a miniature Dean. He flirts with both girls his age and girls older than him. When he was two, when we'd go out somewhere, Jon would point and say, cute when he would see someone. I don't know whether to be concerned or laugh about it."

"If it's interrupting his studies, then you should be concerned, Sam."

"The kids go to Dean when they want help on dealing with love and the opposite sex, and they know their uncle is an expert with that stuff," Sam shrugged.

"Was Dean the same way as a child?" she asked.

"I think Dean started liking girls in middle school."

"I really missed you boys. I never wanted that life for you."

"I always envied Dean for having memories of you," Sam admitted.

Mary touched his arm. "I'm sorry, Sammy," she told her youngest son.

"It's not your fault, Mom," he said, "It's that damn demon's fault. I used to ask Dean why we didn't have a mom, and what was Mom like? Was she pretty? Did she like me?"

"I adored you, Sammy, you and your brother. I made every attempt to save you from that monster."

Sam forced a smile. "You all had a part to play in protecting me. You ran in and stopped him, Dad took me from my crib before it burst into flames, and Dean carried me out of the house."

Mary smiled, too, rubbing his arm, "we all love you, Sammy."

At the hospital, John showed the nurse behind the information desk, his fake badge. "My name is Sheen Andrews, these are my partners. We're with Disease Control. Can you tell us where the pediatric ward is?"

"Two floors up, Mister Andrews," the nurse replied, politely.

John nodded at her, "Thank you." He, Mary, and Sam headed for the elevator where Sam pressed the number three.

"I can't believe I didn't notice it when Jonathan and Mary brought home those flyers," Sam said. He was staring up at the ceiling, moving his eyes around.

"You do know my full name is John, right?" John asked of his youngest son.

"I know, I'm talking about my kids," he told him.

"I know who you're referring to, and if you're gonna name your kid after me, get the name right," John shot, coldly. Don't get him wrong, John was honored his grandson was named after him. His name just wasn't Jonathan.

"With the middle name I chose for my son, I couldn't use just John, I had to use Jonathan," Sam shot back.

"What's his middle name?" Mary asked, calmly.

Sam turned his head to her. "Dean. Jonathan Dean Winchester."

She lit up at the sound of the name. "I love it, Sam. How did you come up with it?"

He shrugged, "I wanted to use both Dad and Dean's names. Mary's is Mary Joanne Winchester."

"Joanne? You mean, Jo, as in Bill and Ellen's daughter?" John asked.

Sam nodded. "I tried to come up with names for girls and those were the only ones I could think of. I didn't like Mary Jo, though. It sounded good for an old woman, but not a little girl."

"Those 'old women' had to have started out little girls, at some point," Mary told him.

Sam gave a small laugh as the elevator beeped and the shiny, grey doors opened. They stepped out and went in search of a doctor. The family walked by a long window to see several kids lying in hospital beds, motionless. Sam recognized one small boy from little Mary's birthday party. Sam stopped as he saw his parents beside his bed. Mary never told him one of her friends was the hospital. It was possible maybe she didn't know, though.

Sam remembered how the boy was so energetic and happy-go-lucky. Mary and her friends spent most of the party, running around their yard.

John walked up, breaking his thoughts. He had been speaking to a doctor, he and Mary Sr. had found while Sam was in his thoughts. "Just as I knew it, kids are being attacked at night. The doctor says its pneumonia. None of them are responding to treatment and not one is awake. Every parent asked, says the window was open even though they knew for sure it was shut."

"What do we do?" Mary asked her husband.

"_We _aren't doing anything, Sam and I will find it and kill it before any more kids are attacked," he told her.

Mary folded her arms, staring daggers at him. "I was raised on this stuff, just like the boys were, John. I can handle it."

"Well, don't Sam need someone to watch his kids when they're out of school?" John asked, trying to come up with an excuse for Mary not to join them. He believed Mary could handle it, John just wanted to take the chance to lose her again.

"I do have a friend who watches them…" Sam saw the look in his father's eye, telling Sam to back him up. "But I'm sure they would love to meet and spend time with their grandmother."

Mary moved her arms, to put her hands on her hips, looking between the men. "You two are unbelievable, you know that?"

"We just really care about you, Mom," Sam assured her.

"Fine, but only because I want to see my grandkids," she told them.

Sam and his parents went back to his house to research and refresh on shtrigas in Sam's home office. Sam looked on his computer while John and Mary looked in old books Sam kept around for when Dean needed help on a hunt. The kids weren't allowed in Dean's bedroom or Sam's office so Sam figured it was safe to keep the books in both rooms. Mostly his office, though.

Once their memories were refreshed, they started discussing. "So Sam, since you live here, know anyone the shtriga might be?" John asked from the couch on the left side from Sam's desk.

Sam shrugged, leaning back on his chair, "No, this is a pretty small town where everyone knows each other and no one ever seems out of the ordinary. What about the doctor you spoke to? When you sent me and Dean to take care of that other one, it turned out to be the doctor."

John ran his hand down the left side of his face, his elbow on the arm of the couch. "It didn't seem like it, but who knows," he shrugged, too.

"Don't shtrigas usually take the form of an old woman?" Mary asked from beside John.

"They prefer it, but it's any form, really." Turning back to Sam, John asked, "Do you have any guns and ammo, Sam?"

"I keep them locked up in that closet," he replied, nodding towards a closet door. Sam opened one of the desk drawers and took out a key, tossing it to his father.

John examined the key before he finally looked back up at his son. "Do they know about what's out there?"

Sam shook his head. "Their mother turned out to be a witch, herself, and Jonathan caught her once, but he just didn't understand since he was only seven at the time. Otherwise, no, they know nothing."

"So you're just going to keep them uninformed, Sam?" he demanded, in a normal tone of voice.

"Yes, Dad, because I want my kids to grow up, being kids. When Mary comes to my room, at night telling me she's afraid of her closet, I don't give her a gun. I give her a flashlight," Sam told his father.

"What the hell is a flashlight gonna do?"

"Right, I'm gonna give my six-year-old a gun," he said, "I don't even let my eleven-year-old hold a gun."

John jumped to his feet, his anger boiling inside of him. "How else are they gonna protect themselves, Sam?"

Sam stood up, fast, too. "They won't have to, because I'll be there to do it. If not me, then Dean will."

"When are you going to learn, Sam? Things are out there and my grandkids need to know how to protect themselves, and if you won't do it, I will!"

Sam stepped closer, inches from his father's face. "The hell you are! You're not teaching them anything supernatural."

Out of nowhere, of all possible times, he could show up, Castiel appeared in the room. "Am I interrupting something?"

All three turned to see the angel standing on the other side of the room.

Sam sighed, running his hand through his hair, looking down at the floor. He then looked up, "this isn't a good time, Cas."

"Sorry, Sam," the angel apologized. "I just came to tell you, we have a problem."

Sam fully turned to face him. "We know about the shtriga already."

Castiel looked at Sam, sideways. "Shtriga?"

He shrugged, "Isn't that what you meant?"

The angel shook his head. "It appears humans from all over are being brought back to life, including angels. No one knows why."

John looked up at Castiel, unsure what he just heard. "Did you say angels?" he asked him.

"That is correct, and who are you?" asked Castiel.

"Castiel, this is John and Mary Winchester, my parents," Sam introduced. "Mom, Dad, this is Castiel. He's an angel."

Castiel smiled, holding his hand out. "Pleased to meet you, I heard a lot about you."

Mary accepted the handshake, smiling politely. "It's good to hear my boys have an angel watching over them, just like I used to tell them."

Sam was looking at the time on his iPhone. "Hey Cas, I forgot it was a half-day, do you have time to pick up the kids from school?"

"I have plenty of time for the little ones," he smiled and disappeared.

Sam headed downstairs, going to the kitchen. He looked inside the fridge and took a stalk of celery from one of the bottom drawers, getting the cutting board from behind the sink and a sharp knife from the knife holder.

John came down, a few minutes afterwards, putting his jacket back on. "We should get going, Sam. I'll load up my truck and we'll head out."

"Okay, Dad," Sam replied as he cut up the celery. "I'm just making the kids, their afterschool snack."

John went outside to open up his truck before going back inside to start loading what they needed. Once he had it all loaded up, Sam was making Kool-Aid. "Ready?" John asked him.

"They should be back any minute," he said, stirring the Koo-Aid. Right as he said that, Castiel reappeared, with Jonathan and little Mary.

Little Mary ran to her father, when she saw him. "Daddy!"

Sam lifted her up, into his arms. "Hey sweetheart, how was school?"

"Mrs. Congo still isn't back yet. Mrs. Osborn was there again, and she was so mean today. She yelled at Abby when she asked me to hand her, her pencil she dropped," Mary told her father. "And yelled at Todd for eating cold pizza his dad packed for him, for lunch. Mrs. Osborn made him throw it away."

Sam asked his daughter, "How come?"

She shrugged, "I don't know. She said she didn't like the smell of it."

Sam quickly shared a glance with his father. "I bet I can take a guess who it could be."

"Who?" little Mary asked.

"Nothing, sweetheart," Sam assured her. "I have to leave for a few hours, but I'll be back tonight to tuck you in bed. Okay?"

"But you said we were going to play Sorry, tonight." The lower lip came out and melted Sam's heart. Little Mary knew it could always work, too.

"I know, sweetheart, but something came up and your grandfather and I need to take care of it."

Little Mary looked confused. "Grandfather?"

Sam smiled at his daughter. He nodded over at John, "Mary, these are your grandparents I've told you about."

Mary looked back to see John and Mary Sr. standing there.

Mary Sr. smiled, warmly. "Hello, Mary," she greeted.

Little Mary looked back at her father. "I thought Grandma and Grandpa were dead."

"I thought so, too and here they are, and your grandmother said she'll stay and watch you and your brother." Sam noticed Jonathan wasn't around. "Where is Jonathan?" he asked, looking around.

"He went to the restroom," Castiel explained.

"Daddy, why can't Uncle Cassie watch us?" Only little Mary called Castiel 'Uncle Cassie.' She called him that since she and Jonathan met the angel and started calling Castiel, Uncle.

"Your grandmother wants to get to know you, and maybe she'll play Sorry with you," Sam told her.

"No, I want Uncle Cassie, he's fun," she argued.

Sam sighed. Usually, that meant Castiel let the kids do something, Sam and Dean don't. "Mary Joanne, knock it off. Your grandmother wants to get to spend time with you. Do I need to call Uncle Dean?"

Little Mary frantically shook her head.

"Are you going to be good for your grandmother?"

She nodded her head, slowly.

"I better not hear otherwise, understand?"

Again, little Mary nodded before Sam set her down on her feet. Turning to his mother, he set out the usual list of things he told anyone who watches his kids. "There's celery and Kool-Aid for their snack, peanut butter's in the pantry. They know the TV doesn't go on until after dinner, and homework is done before they can play. My number is on the fridge, along with Dean's and the emergency numbers. Police, Poison Control, fire department…"

Mary interrupted her son, smiling at him. "I know Sam, everything will be all right," she assured him.

"Dad's always like that." Jonathan was standing beside his grandfather now. "You get used to it, eventually."

"Oh," she smiled back at the boy, nodding.

Sam smiled at him, too. "Hey buddy, how was school?"

Jonathan shrugged, "I got a seventy-five on my spelling test I took on Friday."

"I thought you and your uncle were studying all week, last week?" Sam asked.

"We did, spelling's just hard and so is Social Studies," replied Jonathan.

"I can help, you, Jon, if you like," Mary Sr. offered.

He shrugged, "Sure."

"Jon, this is your grandmother I told you about, beside you is your grandfather, who you're named after," Sam introduced his parents to his son.

Jonathan was confused just like his sister was. He looked between them, then back at his father. "You said Grandma died when you were a baby and Grandpa died, saving Uncle Dean."

Sam shrugged, "I thought so, too but here they are. We'll talk more later, okay. Your grandfather and I need to get going."

"Okay, Dad."

Sam reached down and kissed little Mary on the head and went over to kiss Jonathan, who tried to push his father away.

"Dad, I'm not a little kid anymore, stop kissing me," Jonathan complained.

Sam smiled at his first born. Now that Jonathan was eleven, he did not hug or kiss his father anymore. Jonathan thought that was kid stuff. Sam always tried to sneak it in, anyway. Dean just shared high-fives with his nephew.

John and Sam said good-bye as they headed out the door. Sam locked it once he was outside.


	3. Chapter 3

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 3

The drive to the elementary school was awkwardly quiet. Sam sat on the passenger's side of his father's truck. He offered to drive but John had stated he wouldn't be caught dead in his youngest son's car. Dean had also said the same thing to Sam. Obviously, both men thought Sam had bad taste in cars.

John leaned on his left arm, on his door. He gripped the steering wheel, lightly. The only time any one of them spoke was when John asked which way to turn or to keep driving straight. Sam just stared out the window, his mind on how his kids were doing at the moment, with his mother. Finally, John said something other than directions. "Sam, I'm sorry for lashing out earlier. They're your kids and your decision whether or not they know the truth about what's out there."

Sam stared over at his father, taken aback. "Who are you and what did you do with my dad?" he asked, jokingly.

John couldn't help but grin. "I really am sorry, Sam. Your kids are beautiful, they remind me of you and Dean at that age. Little Mary giving you hard times yet?" He gave a small laugh after he said that.

Sam laughed, too. He knew John meant all the times, Sam had given him hard times when he was a kid and all the arguments they between each other. "So far, Mary only fights me on wanting to wear shorts when it's cold out."

John grinned again, "Oh, a little tomboy?"

"It doesn't help living with two men and a boy," he shrugged. "Mary has no female role models since her mother died."

"So what happened to their mother? You said she was a witch."

Sam took a deep breath. He hated having to relive past hurts and this hurt just as much as when he lost Jessica. Sam ran his right hand through his hair. "At first, I did not know Mariah was a witch, and I couldn't help but stop in every morning on my way to school to get a cup of coffee just so I could see her. We or rather I fell in love. When I graduated from Law School, we got married. When Mary was three, Mariah left home. I called the police, I put up missing person ads, I tried everything, and through it all, Jonathan started lashing out at me, his teachers, and even other kids. He got into fights, at least twice a week. It turns out he saw his mother leave, right after he caught her doing one of her spells. She threatened to beat him, severely if he said anything to me, and it confused and scared him so much, Jonathan didn't know how to handle it."

"So how did you end up finding out if he couldn't tell you?" John asked.

"I kept trying with him until he did, reminding Jonathan he could always come to me with anything, and finally he opened up. That was when Dean showed up on my doorstep after twelve years and we started looking for her, together. Soon, we found out Mariah was only using me to get to Dean. Dean had no choice but to kill her." Sam looked away, staring out the window again. He laid his right elbow on the door, resting his chin against the back of his fingers.

John watched him while also watching the road. "It's not easy watching the mother of your children be murdered, is it?" he said, sadly.

Sam shook his head, still staring out the window. "At least Mom loved us. Mariah barely showed anything to our kids. She didn't even want in on naming them, and worse of all I never realized it until after she left us. It broke us hearts what she did."

"I am so sorry, Sam," John repeated. "If there is anything your mother and I can do, just let us know. I just hope us being alive isn't temporarily."

"Thanks, Dad," Sam replied, looking at his father again. "I hope so, too."

John finally pulled into the parking lot of the school and parked. He and Sam got out and walked up to the front office. Sam asked if Mrs. Osborn was still there or not. The secretary behind the desk called Mrs. Congo's classroom and told them Mrs. Osborn was indeed still there for another hour.

Sam and John thanked her and started on their way. Sam knew where the first grade hall was, so they didn't need to ask for directions. When the men arrived outside the classroom, Sam couldn't help pointing out his daughter's drawing on the bulletin board with the rest of her class. It was a picture of their family, Sam, Dean, Jonathan, Mary, and even Castiel, done in six-year-old fashion. Sam smiled at the dog Mary drew with the words, _my dog I wish I had_. Mary had been pestering her father for months now for a dog, but Sam just never had the time to take her to the Humane Society to pick one out. Sam explained it to John.

John shrugged, "Maybe I can take her."

Sam smiled at that. "Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it, but the Humane Society has this requirement where the whole family in the household has to be there, to make sure the dog can get along with everyone."

John looked at him, "Really?"

Sam let out a breath, "Yeah, it's a real pain. So, it would have to be a day where I'm not working, Jonathan doesn't have a game, and Dean's home, and usually Dean and Mary are the only ones home nowadays, otherwise he would have taken her to adopt one."

John nodded before they went inside the classroom.

"Mrs. Osborn," Sam said as John shut the door, slowly.

A short, middle-aged woman with her graying hair in a bun and black-framed glasses was sitting at her desk, grading the students' phonics worksheets from that day. She looked up when she heard her name called. "Yes, what can I do for you?"

"Uh, hi, my name is Sam Winchester," Sam introduced. "This is my father, John Winchester. My daughter, Mary is in your class and I was wondering if we could ask you some questions."

"I am not the regular teacher. Mrs. Congo will be back next week. Any questions regarding students can wait until then since I make no effort to get to know anyone."

"No, it's about you," he told her.

Mrs. Osborn leaned back in her chair. "What about me?"

"Well, Mary came home and told me that you were unfairly yelling at the students today."

"It's a child's word against mine," she shrugged. "She and another student were talking and I was reminding them, it was listening time, not talking time."

"But the kid was asking Mary for her pencil she dropped," Sam told her.

"Talking is talking. Is there more complaints you have or can I finish my grading? I have things to do tonight and I don't want to be stuck here all night."

John nodded up at her, "Like what?"

"That is none of your concern, Mister Winchester," she simply told him, sternly.

"So, why did you make Todd throw away his lunch?" Sam continued the interrogation.

"It had garlic on it and since I can't leave the students, I had to make Todd throw it away."

"It was his lunch, though," said John, his hands in his jacket pockets. "You can't make a kid throw away his lunch. He needs to eat something."

Mrs. Osborn looked like she was starting to get annoyed by the Winchester men's questions. "Todd had other things to eat in his lunch and I'm sure, by the looks of him, he would have been just fine until he got home."

"How long have you been subbing for Mrs. Congo so far?" asked Sam.

"About a week now. Why?"

Sam looked at his father, and then looked back at Mrs. Osborn. "Thank you for your time, Mrs. Osborn." He and John left the classroom.

"A week," John spoke when they were outside, walking to his truck. "That's how long ago the doctor said the first kid got sick."

"So you think it could be her?" asked Sam.

"She seems like a witch to me," he said, bitterly.

They parted ways on either side of the truck, stopping at the truck bed.

"So, what now?" asked Sam. "We can only kill her when she feeding."

John still had his hands in his pockets. "We find out who her next victim is and we follow her."

"How, there's tons of kids in this town. Those ones in the hospital weren't even close to half."

John looked away. He had a weird feeling he may know the shtriga's next victim.

Little Mary climbed the stairs, going to her bedroom. She had just finished her first grade homework and had her snack. She held onto the banister as she walked up the stairs. Mary shut the door behind her, once she was in her room, and wandered over to her bed, sitting on the edge. She was thinking about what her father had told her grandfather.

_I bet I can take a guess who it could be._

As long as she could remember, her father and uncle had said secret things and usually it was when Dean was leaving for one of his trips. Mary and her brother didn't actually know what their uncle did for a living, just that he helped people. Mary imagined he was a superhero like Superman, who fought crime and stuff like that. That is, until she found it…

Mary reached under her _Pokémon _pillow and pulled out a brown, leather-bound book. She found it one day, underneath the couch. Dean had been looking through it, trying to find something he couldn't remember about and somehow his father's journal got on the floor and kicked under there. Course, it didn't help that Dean was drinking at the time. Normally, he wasn't that careless with the journal, especially with his nephew around who knew how to read, real well.

Mary had found it when she was looking for a ball that rolled under the couch. When she found it, instead of telling her father or uncle like she should have, Mary secretly took it to her room, curious. For being only a first grader, Mary was a very good reader for her age. Though she did not understand the big words her grandfather wrote and the Latin was gibberish to her, Mary pretty much got the gist of what it said. Scary monsters were real and were really out there. That was most likely why she recently started having frequent nightmares that made her run to her father's bedroom, at night in tears.

But yet, little Mary continued to read her grandfather's journal, intrigued by what he had written.

She lied onto her stomach, after removing her shoes onto the floor and held her jawbone in her hands as her grandfather's journal laid open on the bed, in front of her. Mary was so involved, reading, she did not hear anyone knock on her bedroom door a few times before it opened and her older brother walked in.

"Grandma wants to know if you want to play Sorry." Jonathan noticed his sister reading a book and realized it was the book he once saw their uncle holding. He remembered Dean telling him to never read what was inside, that it wasn't for children. "Where did you get that?" Jonathan practically yelled it, making his sister jump out of her skin.

She tried to shove it back under her pillow and pretend nothing was there, but it was too late. Mary was finally caught.

"Uncle Dean's gonna kick your ass when he finds out you have his book," Jonathan told her.

Mary was sitting up, on her legs now. "Please don't anyone, Jon," she pleaded with her brother, trying to use the same lower lip she uses with her father.

"Mary, you know I hate seeing you in trouble but I have to tell them," he said. "We can't go into Dad's office or Uncle Dean's room, and you did. If I keep it to myself, then both of us will be in trouble and I have the big game on Saturday. My team needs me." Jonathan was playing baseball at the moment, his second favorite sport after football. He was team captain and pitcher, and usually brought home the win for his team.

Mary stood up from her bed and wrapped her arms around her big brother's waist. "Please don't tell, Jon." Tears were forming in the little girl's eyes, running down her cheeks.

Jonathan wrapped his arms around his little sister. "Okay, I won't tell Uncle Dean," he shrugged, looking down at the top of her head.

She sniffed and looked up at him. "Really, Jon?"

He nodded. "If you tell him, yourself."

Mary stared at her brother, surprised. She took a couple steps back, shaking her head. "No, I can't tell Uncle Dean," she told Jonathan.

Jonathan shrugged, "Why not, he'll go easy on you if you confess."

Mary looked at the wood floor. Another tear escaped her right eye and fell down to her chin, where it dripped onto the floor. There was no way she could tell her uncle the truth. She was the center of his world. Mary loved her uncle and he loved her, too. She even looked up to him, like a hero, which was actually one of the reasons Mary daydreamed her uncle was a superhero. If Dean knew his niece did something, she knew she wasn't supposed to do, he would be very disappointed. Mary thought her uncle would stop loving her, maybe even talk her father into giving her away.

"I can't," she finally told her brother.

"Then I have no choice." Jonathan turned around and started towards the door. Mary saw him and grabbed his arm, tugging it back. He tried to pull it from his sister's grip. "Let go, Mary!"

"No, I won't let you tell Uncle Dean!" she argued back, pulling on his arm.

"It's either me or you, and you won't do it!" he argued back.

Back and forth, the siblings argued and played tug-a-war with Jonathan's right arm. Finally, it brought Mary Sr. upstairs, wondering what all the commotion was.

"What's all the fighting about?" she asked her grandchildren.

"Nothing," little Mary replied, letting go of her brother's arm.

Jonathan fell back, onto his back. He stood up and told his grandmother the truth. "Mary took Uncle Dean's book without permission, and she knows she's not supposed to."

"Did not!" little Mary lied.

"Yes, you did, Mary," Jonathan argued.

"Nah uh," she argued back.

"All right, you two, that's enough. Jon, do you have any proof that Mary took your uncle Dean's book?" Mary Sr. asked her nephew.

Jonathan pointed to his sister's pillow. "It's under her pillow," he said.

Mary Sr. went over to her granddaughter's bed. Little Mary tried to stop her but it didn't help and was caught again. Mary Sr. lifted the pillow from the bed and picked up her husband's journal, laying the pillow back down. She looked through the journal and realized who it really belonged to.

"I told her if she tells Uncle Dean the truth, herself, then I won't have to," Jonathan told his grandmother.

Mary Sr. smiled over at her granddaughter, warmly. "I think that's a wonderful idea. That would be very grown up of you, Mary."

"But Uncle Dean will be mad and will hate me, maybe tell Daddy to get rid of me." Mary looked like she would start crying again, at any minute. Her lower lip was quivering as she sniffed a few times.

Mary Sr. kneeled to her level, putting her left hand on little Mary's shoulder. "Honey, you took something that didn't belong to you. Now I'm sure your uncle won't hate you or tell your father to get rid of you. He'll be disappointed, probably, but he'll still love you," she explained to the little girl.

Little Mary sniffled as tears leaked from her eyes. "I'm scared, though."

"The longer you hold it in, the more harder it will be."

Little Mary wiped at her eyes with the back of her right hand. "Okay," she finally agreed.

Mary Sr. stood up and gently led her granddaughter downstairs to the kitchen and dialed Dean's cell number for her, looking on the freezer door where Sam had told her it was. When it was ringing, Mary Sr. handed little Mary the cordless phone, who put it to her right ear in both hands.

The phone rang, playing a Led Zeppelin ringtone until Dean's voice came on. "Hello?"

"Uncle Dean?" little Mary replied, quietly.

"Mary? Is something wrong? Where's your dad?" Dean asked, worriedly.

"Nothing's wrong, and Daddy's with Grandpa," she told him.

"Grandpa? Who's Grandpa?"

"Your dad."

"My dad?" For some reason, Dean didn't sound as shocked as he should have been. "So, who's watching you and your brother?"

"Grandma," little Mary replied.

"So, my mom is there, too, huh. Were you just calling to say good-night?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah." Little Mary looked up to see her brother staring her down, with his arms folded.

He shook his head. "Tell Uncle Dean the truth, Mary," he told his sister, almost sounding like his father.

Little Mary bit her lower lip before she said, "No, I called you to say I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what, Tiger?" Dean asked, using his pet name for his niece.

Little Mary hesitated, producing fresh tears again.

"Tiger, what's wrong?" Dean was growing more concerned now for his niece. "Talk to me. It'll be okay, I'm sure you didn't mean whatever you did. You know you're always forgiven."

She sniffled, "You won't ever hate me or tell Daddy to get rid of me?"

"What? No, never. You're my little tiger, remember? I will always love you, no matter what. Now tell me what happened."

Little Mary wiped her nose on her right arm, which Mary Sr. instinctively got a dish rag from the sink, ran it under the water, and kneeled down to her level to wipe away the snot. Little Mary still hesitated for a bit. "You promise you won't be mad?"

"I promise," said Dean, calmly.

"I…I took your book that Grandpa wrote," she finally got out.

There was a long pause before Dean said, "you what?"

"The other day I found your book under the couch and instead of telling you and Daddy about it, I took it to my room and read it."

"YOU DID WHAT?!" Dean didn't mean to yell at her, but he just couldn't believe his niece went behind his and Sam's backs and read something she knew she wasn't supposed to read.

Tears were pouring down her face now. Even Mary Sr. and Jonathan heard Dean yell through the phone. Little Mary knew her uncle was pacing now, rubbing his eyes in one hand. "You promised you wouldn't be mad."

She heard Dean let out a frustrated sigh. "I'm sorry about yelling, Mary. I'm not mad, just disappointed in you. Your dad and I have told you and your brother, a dozen times about not reading that book. There's stuff in there that you wouldn't understand and don't want you to know about."

"I'm really sorry, Uncle Dean," she sniffled.

"I know you are, Tiger," he told her. "Look, there's been a change of plans, so I'll be home just as soon as I am done here, possibly this weekend. The beginning of next week, tops, so we'll talk then. Okay?"

"Will I get a spanking?" little Mary asked.

"What do you think?"

She whimpered before she said, yes.

"Hey," he said, gently, "you know I don't do it to be mean. Your dad and I have a set rules and you and Jon need to follow them, or there will be consequences. When your dad gets home, I need you to tell him, as well. Understand?"

She sniffed, "yes, Uncle Dean."

"If he decides to spank you, then I won't, but we will still talk about it when I get home. Understand?"

"Yes, Uncle Dean. Can I still call you tonight, to say good-night?"

"Of course, Tiger. I'll talk to you then."

"Okay."

"Give the phone to your grandmother," Dean told her.

Little Mary held the phone out to her grandmother, "Uncle Dean wants to talk to you."

Mary Sr. took the phone from her and held it up to her right ear. "Hello, Dean."

Jonathan walked over to his little sister and put his arms around her to comfort her. "I'm sorry you had to do that, Mary," he told her. "Uncle Dean still loves you, though, doesn't he?"

Little Mary nodded in his arms.

"See, you had nothing to worry about," Jonathan smiled.

She sniffed again, "Uncle Dean says I have to tell Daddy, too when he gets home."

"Tell me what?" The kids turned to see their father coming in the front door, removing his coat. John was behind him, shutting the door.

**Does having two Marys confuse anyone? I was hoping using "Mary Sr." and "little Mary" help to separate between the two but I can come up with a nickname for little Mary if it helps. Critism is always welcome about anything!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 4

Little Mary stared up at her father as she bit her lower lip. Her lip quivered as she wrung her hands.

Sam seeing that something was wrong went over and kneeled in front of his daughter to be at her level. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" he asked her, pushing some of her hair behind her left ear.

Little Mary stared at the wood floor, continuing to wring her hands together. By that gesture, her father knew she had done something she wasn't supposed to do.

Sam stood up, and picked little Mary up to set her on the kitchen counter. He placed both hands on either side of her, leaning on them. "Tell me what happened, Mary Joanne," Sam said gently but stern.

"I…" Little Mary hesitated like she did with her uncle. Sam kissed her forehead, helping her to ease some tension. It did a little, like it usually did, but not by much.

"Do I need to ask Grandma what happened, or Jon?" he asked.

Little Mary shook her head. "Uncle Dean wants me to do it."

Sam shrugged, "Take your time. The longer you prolong this, the harder it will be to tell me. When I was your age, when I had to tell my dad something I did, I just blurt it out."

"You will always love me, right?" she asked.

"Of course, you know that," Sam smiled at his daughter. "Now, what happened?"

Little Mary sniffed back some tears before she finally said, "I took Uncle Dean's book that Grandpa wrote and…I…read some of it." She looked up to watch her father's reaction.

Sam tried to stay as calm as he could. "Why?"

She shrugged, "I don't know."

Sam dropped his head, and then looked over at his own father. Afterwards, he returned his attention back to his daughter, he said, "What did your uncle say?"

"That we would talk about it when he got home, this weekend. Uncle Dean also said he would spank me, unless you do," she replied.

"Well, I am _very _disappointed to hear you read that book after we have told you, over and over not to. Your uncle and I are trying to protect you and your brother, and give you the childhood we never had."

Little Mary closed her eyes as she looked downward, tears flooding them. "I really am sorry, Daddy," she cried, quietly.

Sam, being the softy he was, put his arms around her and comforted her. "I know you are, sweetheart."

John, who was still standing there, a little ways from his son and granddaughter, had been listening carefully. He wondered how a six-year-old read his handwriting, much less understand what it said. He questioned Sam about it.

Sam was rubbing little Mary's back, up and down. "Like I said, Mary is very smart for her age. There were probably some words in there, she didn't understand, but she probably understood most of it, and that is what I was afraid of. Mary can be quite curious, at times."

"Are you mad at me?" little Mary asked her father.

"Not mad, just disappointed." Sam let go and took her chin into his hand, making her look him in the eye. "Do you want your spanking done and over with tonight, or would you want to wait until your uncle gets home?"

"Over with, tonight," she sniffed.

"Then, let's go." Sam took her off the counter and onto her feet, again. He gently led her, upstairs to his bedroom, for privacy. Sam never let his children watch each other when they were spanked. It was hard on them, and Sam already, as it was. He then led her over to the foot of his bed and sat down. Sam leaned forward on his forearms, touching little Mary's arms as he used his right thumb to brush along hers. "Mary, when your brother was born, I promised myself that my kids would never know about the stuff I knew as a kid. That's why it was so important that you both stay away from my office and Dean's room."

"But I found it downstairs, under the couch," little Mary said.

"Then why didn't you tell me or your uncle?" he asked, still stern. The part of fatherhood he hated.

She shrugged, "I don't know."

"Mary, quit saying, I don't know. I know you're smarter than this. Why did you take your grandfather's journal instead of just coming to us? You would not been in trouble, like you are now," Sam told his daughter.

Little Mary hesitated again. "I wanted to know what was in there."

"That's the thing, Mary," he said, "I don't want you to know. I want you and Jon to have a normal childhood and do things, your uncle and I never got to do. I wanted to play soccer, but I couldn't because your grandfather said I had to train to be a hunter. I don't want that for you kids."

"But can't I know and still be a kid?" she asked.

Sam shook his head, sadly. "Once a person knows about what's lurking in the shadows, a hunter is born and now I'm scared that's what you're gonna become now."

"I think it's cool, what Grandpa did, going on hunts and fighting monsters. It's kind of like Scooby Doo, but there's no dog. _No dog_," Mary had to squeeze the _no dog_ part in there, twice.

Sam smiled his dimpled smile, "you are so adorable, you know that?" and tickled her ribs, making her laugh. "I promise, I will get you a dog when we're all home, okay?" he told her when he stopped.

Little Mary nodded.

"Do you understand why I am disappointed in you, though?"

Again, she nodded.

"Tell me, then."

"Because I did something I wasn't supposed to, with something you were protecting me from," she whimpered, knowing what was coming next.

Sam pulled his daughter, gently into a hug, kissing the side of her head. "I love you, and I never want anything to happen to you. Okay?"

Little Mary nodded, against his shoulder.

From the hug, Sam then lifted her up and laid her across his lap, on her stomach. He hated having to do this. Luckily, he and Dean rarely had to. Jonathan and little Mary usually did as they were told with only one threat. No one was perfect though, and Sam and Dean knew it.

Little Mary squeezed her father's pant leg in both hands as she was already crying, softly to herself. Sam never liked to keep his kids in suspense, so he got right to it, bringing his right hand down, seven times. He never went over seven and he never hit hard enough where it left any welts or bruises, and usually their backsides only hurt for five minutes.

Once Sam was done, he lifted his now crying-out-loud, little girl back into his arms and comforted her. "Shh, shh," he said, gently. "It's over now. It's okay, sweetheart, Daddy's here." Sam rubbed his hand across her back as little Mary cried on his right shoulder. "Shh, shh," he continued to try and calm little Mary down.

Once little Mary's crying had ceased to tiny sniffles, Sam had her move, where she was sitting sideways on his lap, careful of what was left of her bottom's soreness, and wrapped his arms around his daughter. Little Mary laid her head against his chest and snuggled into it, wrinkling his tie he was still wearing. Sam didn't care, though. It was the end of the day already and he ended up not going into work, anyway.

"Listen to me, Mary," he began the after lecture, "I need to ask how much you read so far."

Little Mary sniffed, wiping her nose on the back of her right hand, staring at her lap. "I'm at the part where Grandpa is talking about witches turning into animals and some guy named, George."

Sam was impressed by hearing how far his daughter was into his father's journal. "That's halfway through the book, when did you find it?" he asked.

"Um, Saturday when we got home from Jon's game," she replied, thinking about it. "Did your teacher really want to hurt you?" Little Mary looked up at her father, waiting for an answer.

Sam had no clue what she was talking about. There were some parts of his childhood Sam did not remember, and he and Dean usually just referenced their father's journal when they needed help on a hunt. He had totally cleared his mind of some incidents, which was why Lilith was new to him when he and Dean found out about her. According to his father's journal, Lilith had posed as Sam's second-grade teacher, Ms. Lyle when he qualified for the science fair and said she could take Sam there, since John couldn't. It turns out, she was taking him somewhere else and John had to go rescue Sam. John never knew what she wanted with him, she just said Sam was special.

John packed up his boys and stuff, and hit the road again.

"Did you read that in your grandfather's journal," Sam asked his daughter.

Little Mary nodded. "He said you q-u-a-fied in a science fair and she said she'll take you, but instead, kidnapped you and Grandpa had to rescue you."

"I was your age, probably, so I don't remember that," Sam told her. "Do you think you can forget what you read? I won't be mad if you can't, what's done is done and we can't change the past."

"I can try, Daddy. I am really sorry."

Sam rubbed her right, upper arm, up and down. "I know you are, sweetheart. Are you going to do this again?"

Little Mary shook her head.

"If you see your grandfather's journal lying around, you're gonna leave it alone, right?"

She nodded this time.

"Good, 'cause I really don't want to repeat this and I'm sure you don't either, nor was your uncle probably looking forward to coming home after a rough trip and having to punish you, right off the bat," he said.

"Uncle Dean yelled at me when I told him," she told her father.

Sam shrugged, "Well, your uncle is quick to raise his voice and you knew better than that. Am I right?"

She nodded, slowly.

"We love you, though and only want what's best for you. Okay?" he assured her.

"Okay, Daddy," she replied.

"Can I have a hug and kiss?"

Little Mary smiled as she nodded and stood up, off her father's lap to hug him around the neck and kissed him on the cheek, before continuing the hug.

Sam squeezed her, tightly. "I love your hugs," he smiled.

Sam let go and told her to go get ready for bed while he got started on dinner. Since it was already late, they just decided on ordering pizza.

Later that night, when everyone was sleeping, or almost everyone, Sam and his kids each slept in their rooms. Mary Sr. was sleeping on the pull-out bed in Sam's office. John was supposed to be sleeping with her, but he couldn't shake this feeling he had. So, he sat outside his granddaughter's bedroom door, polishing a gun with iron bullets inside. He kept the door open a crack, just enough to see through. His back was slouched against the wall beside it.

Little Mary slept soundly in her bed, covered up with her matching Pokémon comforter and clutching a stuffed Snivy (Pokémon), Dean had won for her from the claw machine in Wal-Mart. It took a lot of dollars and thanks to Dean, Little Mary now knew every swear word ever created, from that day.

When the moon was at its highest peak, a shadow appeared in the window, beside Little Mary's bed. It opened the window with the wave of its long, boney hand. The chilly, January night air blew in, making little Mary shiver in her sleep.

Slowly and quietly, the shadow floated in, inching towards the little girl. It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Little Mary slowly opened her eyes and looked back over her left shoulder to see a hooded, black figure right as it opened its mouth and a blue light emitted from it.

Little Mary screamed, being John right in. John burst through the door, holding his gun up. He shot at the shtriga right at it as it was starting to feed, but unfortunately, he rushed in a little too soon. Even though the bullets went right into the shtriga's flesh, it did not kill it. Instead, the shtriga flew back out the window. John ran after it, in time to see it disappear into the night.

John looked over to see his granddaughter shaking and whimpering, sitting up now. He hurried over and pulled her into his arms, or tried to, anyway. Little Mary pushed her grandfather away.

"I want Daddy," she told him as she shoved him away.

As if on cue, Sam came rushing in, throwing the light on. John stood up as he watched his son take his place beside his granddaughter and took her into his arms. "Shh, shh, it's okay. Daddy's here, Daddy's got you." Sam rocked his daughter in his arms. After a while, Sam glared up at his father. "Dad, what happened? What did you do?"

"That weird feeling I had was true," John explained. "After meeting with Mary's teacher, today, I knew she would come after her, tonight. So, I sat outside Mary's door and waited. Unfortunately, I didn't wait long enough." He bent over and picked up his gun he had dropped when he rushed over to his granddaughter.

"And you couldn't fill me in on your little feeling?" Sam demanded. "Jesus, Dad, my daughter could have been killed!" He held his daughter, tightly in his arms.

"What else could we do, Sam?" John shot back. "The damn thing can only be killed when it's feeding!"

"So, you use your only granddaughter as live bait?" Sam stood up, lifting little Mary into his arms, grabbing Snivy when she asked for it. "I swear, you and Dean don't think about the consequences when you're aiming to kill something." With that, Sam stormed out of the room, slamming the light off and went back to his room, letting his daughter sleep with him, for the night.

John stood there, running his left hand along his hair as he let out a breath of air. He shut the window and headed for his son's office, laying down next to his wife, who turned over in her sleep.

"What was all that noise?" Mary Sr. asked, half asleep.

"Nothing, I'll explain in the morning. Go back to sleep," he told her.

Mary Sr. snuggled up against her husband as she immediately fell back to sleep. John laid there for a while, thinking, before he drifted off to sleep, as well.

**A sidenote: References to John's journal I found in his journal. I actually own a copy I found at Barnes and Noble book store. Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I can probably guess some of you were hoping for the confrontation between Dean and his niece, but it will be a couple of chapters before Dean comes home and I want to get more of the plot out before that, and also get the shtriga out of the way first. Hope you all enjoy it and thank you for reading :) Again, critism is always welcomed and considered.**

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 5

Sam was repeating the morning, prior, making everyone's lunch as Mary Sr. cooked breakfast for him.

"So, you do this by yourself, every day?" she was asking Sam.

Sam scooped the last bit of strawberry jelly from the jar. "Great, we're out," he mumbled to himself before he answered his mother's question. "Yeah, usually we're rushing out the door, too."

"Dean helps you when he's home, right?"

"He makes sure the kids are up and dressed," he said, trying to look inside the jar and scrape out the sides.

John was sitting over on the couch, checking the newspaper for any information on the children getting sick or anything else linked to the shtriga. "Want me to hurry them along for you?"

"If you could, that would be great, Dad. Thanks." Sam was trying to fit one sandwich worth's of jelly onto two.

"JON! MARY! HURRY UP OR YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!" John yelled at the top of his lungs, from his seat.

Sam glared at his father. "Dad, I could have done that."

He shrugged, "Hey, it got one of them down here." John nodded over as little Mary slowly made her way down the stairs, holding her stomach in her arms. She wandered into the living room, stopping in front of the breakfast counter.

"Daddy, my tummy hurts," she whined, quietly. "I don't think I can go to school today."

John smirked, "Kid, that's the oldest trick in the book. You're gonna have to do better than that."

Little Mary walked around the breakfast counter where her father was standing. "Daddy," she repeated, looking up at Sam.

Sam touched the back of his fingers to her forehead, moving it to her right cheek. "You don't feel warm, sweetheart. Maybe you just need to eat something. You didn't eat much last night." Sam returned to making the kids' lunch.

"But Daddy…"

"We will see after you eat, Mary," he told her. "And why aren't you dressed yet?"

"Oh no, I'm getting dizzy, the whole room's spinning." Little Mary held her head against her father's leg.

Sam was placing one of the made sandwiches inside a slider, Ziploc bag and zipped it closed, making sure the air was out. "Mary, now I know you're faking. Since when do you not want to go to school?"

"Mrs. Osborn will be there, what if she tries to get me again?"

Sam glared over at his father again before he pulled out another Ziploc bag from its box, placing the other sandwich inside and sighed. This was what he was afraid of. "She won't get you during the day, sweetheart. She only changes at night."

Little Mary looked up at him, "I'm scared of her, though. Can't I stay home, at least until Mrs. Congo comes back?"

Sam looked down at her, sadly. He would love to say yes to her and let her stay home until the shtriga was killed, but she couldn't miss school. Sam was so torn, he couldn't even answer.

"Sam."

Sam snapped out of his thoughts and looked over to see Castiel sitting at the kitchen table. He wasn't sure how long the angel had been sitting there.

"If you like, I can stay with Mary all day and make sure she's safe."

John looked up from the paper he was still skimming through. "How will you do that? Will they let you sit in her classroom the whole day?"

"I can make it where no one can see me," Castiel explained to him.

Little Mary grew excited, "Yeah, can Uncle Cassie come to school with me?"

"If you go get ready for school, then yes, Uncle Cas can go with you to school," Sam told her.

Little Mary hurried back upstairs, as fast as she could.

"I see her stomach ache is gone," John smiled as he watched his granddaughter run up the stairs, pinning her brother, who was coming down, to the wall.

"Thank you so much, Cas," Sam thanked the angel.

"It's my pleasure, Sam," Castiel smiled in return.

It felt like there was a huge weight, lifted off Sam's shoulders. Castiel had no idea just how thankful he really was. His kids being away from him scared Sam the most, but it grew worse when he found out about the shtriga. Sam always thought about his kids when they were out of his sight. In fact, he wondered if this feeling was unhealthy or not.

Once the kids' lunches were packed and Jonathan and little Mary had breakfast, Castiel zapped them to school, leaving the adults alone. Sam was helping his mother clean the kitchen.

John leaned back on the couch, after setting his now empty plate on the coffee table. "Boy, I can't remember when the last time I had a home-cooked breakfast."

Sam was rinsing off the dishes, placing them in the dishwasher. "Before Dean moved in, it was a rare treat when the kids got to eat out at McDonalds' or order pizza even," he said. "Now, Dean's got them addicted to all of it. I tried keeping them on a stable diet that was good for them. I have to remind Jonathan that an athlete needs plenty of fruits and vegetables in order to play right."

"I watched that kid eat four pieces of pizza, last night," John laughed.

Mary Sr. shook her head, grinning. "He's a Winchester, all right."

They laughed.

Sam was loving this moment. Cleaning the kitchen as he talked with his parents and the topic wasn't on something supernatural. What could have made it even better was if Dean was there, to join in. That's all Sam ever wanted, was a normal life like everybody else.

John cut the moment short, though. "Well, no other kid was harmed last night," he changed the subject.

"So, what happened last night?" Mary Sr. asked.

"When we interviewed Mary's teacher yesterday, I could tell she was getting angry with us. Then I started getting this nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach, that she would want to take revenge on us and go after Mary, and what do you know, I was right. I staked outside the kid's door waiting for the shtriga to come. I didn't know, just how Mary's screams would affect me, though, or if she wakes up. The minute I heard her scream, I got to my feet and just burst in there, without waiting until the shtriga started to feed on her."

"What I can't believe is, why you couldn't tell me," Sam told him, filling the top rack of the dishwasher with cups and glasses. "I am her father, after all.

"Because I knew you would have put her to bed in your bed and not let the shtriga anywhere near her," John told him.

"You're damn right I wouldn't let the shtriga near her. I hated the idea when Dean wanted to use that other kid as live bait when you sent us to finish that other shtriga job."

"Yeah, and I bet you had no other choice, am I right?"

Sam returned his attention to the dishes, not saying a word.

"That's what I thought, Sam." John stood up, walking up to the breakfast counter. "I don't know if the shtriga will come back here, tonight or move on to another kid. She might attack those other two kids, what were their names again?"

Sam squeezed a plastic, Spongebob Squarepants cup into what little space was left of the top rack, and then pushed it back into the dishwasher. "You mean Abby and Todd?"

"Yeah, them. Are they friends with Mary or are they just two kids in her class?" asked John.

"Todd is, not sure on Abby. But then again, Mary makes friends with anyone. Last year was a little intimidating for her, and she was the shyest kid in her class. This school year, Mary has been reminded dozens of time to stop talking during class and she comes home, every day with a new friend. Usually it's a boy," Sam shrugged at the last part, "but sometimes she's make friends with another girl."

"Maybe when all this is over, Mary and I could go have a girl's day out," Mary Sr. smiled.

Sam laughed, "Yeah, good luck with that. Another kid's mom offered once and Mary instantly said no. Did not even think on it."

She asked, "How come?"

"I told ya, Mary is complete tomboy," Sam told his mother again. "She will not wear anything made for a girl. I've tried, but again, it falls back on Dean. He encourages it. I even came home, one day to find both kids play-wrestling with him, on the floor. Jon doesn't really do it anymore, since he's almost a teenager, but Mary loves it, and Dean allows it."

"Sam, you are their father, you know," John reminded him. "You're allowed to tell Dean not to play a certain way. If you want Mary to be who she actually is, sit her down and tell her."

"Oh, I know. The two of us have had our discussions on it, but I figured if I tell her to act like a girl should, I'm basically telling Mary what to be. I mean, that's how Mary wants to be and I have to accept her for who she is, and maybe one day, when she's older…" Sam paused, hesitating finishing his sentence. He didn't even want to think about the day his daughter starts puberty, considering he knows nothing about it. Plus, what father wants to think about his little girl growing up and not needing him as much. "…Well…you know."

"Yeah, I get it. I have to admit, I often wondered what it would be like if you boys had a sister," John admitted. "You think Mary will eventually warm up to me? That is, if we're able to stick around."

It dawned on Sam and Mary Sr. "That reminds me, besides the shtriga, we have to figure out this thing Cas told us about and why it's bringing people back to life," said Sam.

"First thing's first, we have to focus on this shtriga and kill this bitch."

"John, is it really necessary to curse?" Mary Sr. asked.

He shrugged, "What, the kids aren't here."

Mary Sr. let an irritated breath, returning to wiping down the stovetop, with a blue sponge.

"So, what then," Sam asked. "We did the research. We know who the shtriga is. What is there to do? It's not like we can do anything about it now and I'm taking the day off from work. We have to do something constructive."

John went into thought, staring at the floor. "Well, there's nothing to go off of, besides the fact, your mother and I are alive. What is there to do? We can't research when we don't even know where to start and you got your little angel friend, babysitting your kid while she's in school."

"Hey, what about me?" The three of them turned to see the Trickster, a.k.a. Gabriel sitting at the kitchen table, with his feet propped up on the table, folded at the ankles.

Sam rolled his eyes, looking up at the ceiling as he let out an irritated breath.

Gabriel held his arms out to the side. "What, you're not happy to see me?" he grinned.

Sam placed his hands on his pelvis. "Uh, no, not really," he told the archangel.

His mother walked up to stand beside him. "Sam, who is this? How did he get in here?"

"Mom, Dad, meet Gabriel, another angel," Sam introduced them.

"Oh, so this is the famous Mommy and Daddy I've heard so much about, huh?" Gabriel smirked.

"Gabriel, what do you want?" Sam asked him, in an annoyed tone.

"I'm here to help, of course."

"Help with what? And will you please get your feet off the table? We eat there, you know."

"Probably shouldn't mention I stepped in dog doo, then, huh?" he winked at him.

Sam glared at the angel.

Gabriel put his feet down, onto the floor. "I'm kidding," he laughed. "Geez, lighten up, Sammy boy."

John, unable to keep silent any longer, spoke up. "Okay, I'm feeling some tension between you two, so why do you want to help us if Sam doesn't like you?"

Gabriel stood up, walking around the table towards them. "Well, rather Sam likes me or not, he has no choice. This new S.O.B. is something fierce."

Sam stared at the angel. "You know what it is?"

"Not much, but I know one thing."

Mary Sr. asked, "What?"

The angel looked at her. "Another demon and it's gathering up a bunch of followers already." Gabriel looked at Sam. "He used to be an angel, a long time ago. When Lucifer tried to take over heaven and was banished to hell. He tried to do the same, scheming up a different plan he thought was better. Of course, whatever plan one comes up with, can never get passed God and he too was banished, only he didn't go to hell or even purgatory."

"Where else can one go?" Sam asked, listening intently.

"Let's just say, it's worse than hell," Gabriel shrugged.

"What can be worse than hell?" John asked.

He looked at him, smirking. "Trust me, you don't even want to know. This demon is a demon no one has ever seen before. There's no black eyes or smoke. It doesn't need a vessel to walk this earth, either."

Sam asked, "So how do we destroy it?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Beats me. All I know is, hunters and angels are being brought back to life to form an army, because there's gonna be a war."

Mary Sr. let out a gasp. "A war?"

He nodded before turning back to Sam. "Like it or not, we're in this together, pal," he told him.

Sam stared at the floor. This could not be happening. Why? Sam thought everything was over and now this? Everything's basically been quiet for fifteen years and he wasn't as young as he used to be. Sam excused himself, going up to his room.

"Wait, so how did this so-called demon get out?" Dean asked over the phone.

"I don't know, Gabriel didn't specify," Sam replied. He heard Dean let an irritated, long breath. "I swear, Dean, I can't be dragged into this. If something happens to me, what's gonna happen to my kids? I can't leave them."

"I don't know, Sammy," Dean told him. "But it sounds like you don't have a choice. I mean, I'm already worrying about Mary, now that she knows the truth. Remember, I used to think they needed to know, until I got to know them and realized they shouldn't. Now she knows and if a war's coming, I'm afraid Mary might get dragged into it, too."

Sam dropped his face into his left hand, holding his phone in his other hand. He was leaning forward, his elbows on his legs. "There's no way I'm letting my six-year-old fight with us, Dean."

"Look Sammy, as soon as we kill this shapeshifter, we'll be there as soon as we can, alright?"

Sam lifted his face from his hand. "We?"

"As soon as I got into town, I started doing research, interrogating the ones who knew the victims. They all told me they all went over it already with an older guy, exact same questions and everything. It wasn't until I checked into a motel, last night I found out there was another hunter already on the case," Dean explained.

Sam asked, "Who?"

There was a pause, and then someone else came on the phone. "Hey, Sam."

Sam's eyes widened when he heard the familiar voice. "Bobby?"


	6. Chapter 6

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 6

Little Mary sat at her desk, with a #2 pencil in her right hand as she tried to focus on a subtracting three digit numbers worksheet. Castiel stood in the back, watching over her in his invisible form. Now and then, she would glance up to see Mrs. Osborn watching her from the teacher's desk. Little Mary did not know why the teacher was watching her, but she could guess it had to do with last night.

All day, Mrs. Osborn's eyes wandered around the classroom as she taught the lesson plan Mrs. Congo had left, but then would find little Mary again. Castiel had noticed, too and wondered why, himself. He felt the evil presence coming from Mrs. Osborn, but that was a no-brainer considering she was a shtriga.

While the students ate lunch, Castiel showed himself, sitting across from little Mary, his hands folded on the lunch table. "I don't understand it, shtrigas don't usually latch onto just one child," Castiel was mostly thinking out loud as Mary ate her lunch her father packed for her.

She was gripping the sandwich tight. Maybe it was a good thing there wasn't that much jelly left, otherwise it would have been dripping out the sandwich and into her thermo lunchbox. "I'm scared, Uncle Cassie," she whimpered.

Castiel unhooked his hand and reached across the table to touch her arm. "I'm here to protect you, don't worry." He assured her.

Little Mary nodded. She happened to look up, to her left and saw Mrs. Osborn on her cell phone. "Hey, teachers can't use their phones during class," she told Castiel. "That's what Mrs. Congo says anyway."

Castiel looked. Sure enough, there she was. "Has she done that before?"

She shook her head. "And Mrs. Osborn is big on following the rules." Mary took out a slider Ziploc bag of grapes from her lunchbox while still holding her sandwich with one hand. "Want my grapes?" she held it out to Castiel. "I don't like them and Daddy keeps packing it."

"Have you tried telling him?" he asked, taking the bag from her.

She nodded, "Once."

Castiel unzipped the bag and popped a green grape into his mouth, chewing it. "Maybe remind him."

"Okay. I will tell Daddy when I get home."

A chubby kid moved seats to sit next to Mary. "Who's that?" he asked, popping Reese's Pieces into his mouth.

"This is my uncle Cassie," she replied to him. "Uncle Cassie, this is my friend, Todd."

Castiel nodded, smiling at the boy. "Pleased to meet you."

"Why do you have a girl's name?" Todd asked, popping a bunch more into his mouth.

"It's short for Castiel," he explained. "Mary here, is the only one who call me, Cassie."

"Oh." Todd turned back to Mary and they started talking about Pokémon. Both of them even got out their cards and played a quick game. Sam always wondered why Mary never finished eating her lunch. This was why.

Castiel watched, not really understanding.

"My Murkrow beats your Patrat," Mary said.

"Yeah, well," Todd took the card away and placed another card of a green, gecko-like creature with a leaf on its head, in its place, "my Grovyle beats your Murkrow."

Castiel shook his head, trying to clear it. "I'm sorry, what is the point of this game?"

"You try and beat all of the other person's Pokémon," Mary told him.

"And what exactly is a Pokémon?" he asked.

"They're animals that battle each other to get stronger and some even change into bigger Pokémon."

Castiel still did not understand. He really loved the other show Mary used to watch when she was younger but as she got older, she got bored with _My Little Pony_ when she discovered Anime, like Pokémon. Sam wasn't too happy about it either. He tried to keep his kids away from stuff like that, but one day, when Dean fell asleep, and Mary and Jonathan was watching _Looney Tunes _on _Boomerang_, Pokémon ended up, coming on afterwards. The kids were instantly hooked and there was nothing Sam and Dean could do about it, except accept it. It actually grew on Dean more. In fact, Mary taught him how to play the card game. She loved hearing the names he comes up with, when Dean can't pronounce the name.

The game continued until the students had to go outside to run off their energy they just got from their lunch. Mary and her friend, Todd continued the game on a metal bench as Castiel stood behind it. For the rest of the day, Mrs. Osborn did not look at Mary. She looked elsewhere. Mary and Castiel thought she had simply moved on. That is, until the end of the day.

Mrs. Osborn sent the class to follow another class out while she held Mary back, calling her up to the teacher's desk.

Mary placed her black Pokémon backpack on her back and walked up to the desk, slowly as she held onto the straps, gripping them tight. "Yes, Mrs. Osborn?"

"I saw your father and grandfather, last night," she began. "They came here, asking questions about what happened in class. Trying to get me fired, are we?"

Mary shook her head. "No, I just told my daddy about my day and he went on his own."

Mrs. Osborn leaned forward, on her folded hands. "I heard that one before," she glared.

Mary bit her lower lip. "Um, why did you come to my house, last night anyway and try to get me?" she asked her.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"My grandpa said it was you, he called you a sea-ga, or something," she said.

"I can assure you, I would never come to a student's house, Miss Winchester," said Mrs. Osborn.

"I don't know my grandpa very well, so I don't know if he was lying, but my daddy believed him."

Suddenly, Mrs. Osborn stood up over the desk and grabbed Mary's neck, digging her nails into the little girl's neck.

Little Mary was gasping for breath as she was lifted off the ground. That's when Castiel appeared and grabbed Mrs. Osborn's arm.

"Let her go!" he commanded. But when she didn't, there was a bright light and Mrs. Osborn was on the floor, dead as a doornail.

Mary fell to the floor, trying to catch her breath. When she found it, Mary hurried over and hugged Castiel around his legs. Castiel lifted her up, into his arms and said, "Let's go get your brother and get you both home."

Mary shook her head. "It's Tuesday, Jon has baseball practice. His friend's dad takes them and brings him home after."

"Okay, then why don't we get you home?" Castiel disappeared and reappeared in the Winchester household where he set Mary down on his feet.

Little Mary looked around for her father. Her grandfather was watching TV, holding a bottle of beer. She wandered over to him. "Grandpa," she said, quietly.

"Hey there, how was school, Mare?" he greeted his granddaughter with a smile.

"Bad, where's Daddy?"

"Upstairs in his office, want to tell me about it?" John asked.

She shook her head.

"Come on, you have to at least give me a try," he told her. "I want to be a part of your life, no matter how much I have here on Earth. I want to get to know you."

"Can I sit on your lap?" she asked her grandfather.

"You're a little old for that, aren't ya? You're six, right?"

"No, I'm not," she argued. "Both Daddy and Uncle Dean still holds me."

John set his beer down on the coffee table. "Come here, then." Mary climbed onto his lap and laid her head against his chest. "So why was school so bad?"

"Mrs. Osborn kept looking at me all day and after school, she tried to choke me," little Mary told him.

He looked alarmed. "What? She tried to choke you?" he asked.

"Yeah, and then Uncle Cassie killed her."

Castiel stepped up, towards where John was sitting. "It's true, all of it. The shtriga is dead."

John stared up at the angel. "How? The shtriga is only vulnerable when it's feeding."

"I am an angel. I can pretty much kill anything."

John held his granddaughter to him, hugging her. "Thank God, you're alright," he said and kissed her head. "At least the shtriga is taken care of. Thank you, Cas."

Castiel smiled. "Anything for who I consider my niece and nephew," he said.

Sam, Mary Sr. and Gabriel came from upstairs, coming into the living room. Little Mary climbed off of John's lap and ran over to Sam, who lifted her up. She then latched onto his neck.

Castiel turned to Sam. "We have one less problem to deal with now."

"What do you mean?" asked Sam, rubbing his daughter's back, up and down.

"The shtriga is dead."

Sam's eyes grew wide. "How?"

Castiel told him what happened, just as he finished, something crashed through the front door. Or rather, someone.

A tall, thin, Caucasian male stepped inside. He smirked, a flame burning in his eyes. "Which one of you is Sam and Dean Winchester?"

John stood up, facing the man. "Who wants to know?" he demanded.

Sam whispered for his daughter to go upstairs to her room and shut the door, before setting her on her feet. Little Mary started to head for the stairs, but then with a snap of his fingers, the man made a wall of fire appear in the walkway, preventing her from leaving. She grew afraid.

"Don't leave yet, sweetie pie," the man smirked. "The fun hasn't even begun."

"Who are you?" Sam demanded, lifting his daughter back into his arms. He was so thankful Jonathan had baseball practice and wished he had gotten Mary into some kind of activity.

"Trust me, no human can ever pronounce our names."

"Then what do you want?" he asked.

"My boss has heard of the Winchesters and what they have been through, and wishes to recruit them. He's also interested in Sam Winchester's kid. He can sense something about her that he loves."

"Like what?"

"Something flows through her veins, a power born to a child every thousand years and it's the only thing that can release my boss from his prison," the man explained.

"So, wait, he hasn't even got out yet?" Sam questioned.

"We finally managed to break free, but our boss couldn't, not without that power and I can sense it in this room, so that must be the kid. Hand her over to me, now!"

Sam tightened his grip on his daughter. "Never," he told him which only made him angry.

The man transformed into a red-skinned, hideous creature with skeleton wings sticking from his back and horns on his head. His teeth were razor-sharp and his claws were longer. "Give me the child or you will surely pay the price!" The man's voice sounded demonic and loud, scaring little Mary as she squeezed her father's neck.

Castiel and Gabriel stepped in front of Sam and tried to send the demon creature away, however both angels were sent flying back. Castiel flew back, through the fire and landed beside the stairs and Gabriel landed on the other side of the breakfast counter, on the kitchen floor.

"It is useless to fight me!" the man bellowed.

No one knew what to do or how to fight the demonic creature. It wasn't like a demon they had fought before. No, this thing was different and stronger.

"Get out of my house!" Sam ordered.

"Not without the child."

Someone else appeared. This time, it was a woman with long, blond hair and wearing a long, white dress "You are not welcome here," she told the creature and with a bright flash of light, the creature was gone.

Gabriel stood up at that point. "Woah, sis," he grinned. "It's been a while."

The humans, except for little Mary turned their heads towards the archangel.

Sam questioned, "Sis?"

Castiel was standing again, as well, walking towards them, the fire gone now. "Yes, we have a sister," he explained. "She's basically what you would call the alpha."

Sam looked over at him. "Wait, wouldn't Michael be the alpha?"

"Castiel's half right," the woman spoke up. "I was created when Pyro tried to do what Lucifer couldn't, to protect the children who are born with the key to his cage."

"So, my granddaughter is this "key" to this demon's cage?" John questioned the angel.

"Yes," she nodded.

"Well, you kind of slipped there, sis," said Gabriel.

"Shut up, you twit," she told him. To the humans, "Yes, and I am sorry. It will never happen again."

"Do you know how to stop this before my daughter gets deeper into this mess?" Sam asked her.

"As long as I am watching over her, your daughter will be safe or so it goes. However, these demons are increasing in number and I may need your help. That is why I have brought back the strongest and skillful hunters and you, Gabriel to life. Michael will also be joining you, as well, and is willing to fight on our side."

"Michael got out?" Sam asked, surprised.

"Yes, I was able to pull him and your brother, Adam out of Lucifer's cage," she explained. "Adam was then able to cross over into his heaven, not wanting to help. This fight will not be like anything you have faced before and these demons are not the demons from hell. Like my brother explained, there is a place far worse than that. In fact, it makes hell look like what you call Disneyland."

Sam swallowed hard. "What would happen if this Pyro got out of his cage?"

"The earth will become the new sun and every human being will die. Pyro then will rule this plant with his followers, and your child will be the only survivor, turned demon like him.

At that point, little Mary was crying on her father's left shoulder, still squeezing Sam's neck. "I wish Uncle Dean was here," she whimpered quietly to him.

Sam held her close, his heart breaking as he learned his little girl's fate. He never wanted this and tried so hard not to let it happen. Little Mary's childhood was ruined.


	7. Chapter 7

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 7

Sam sat on the bleachers, watching as Jonathan pitched a curve ball, striking the batter out. The crowd on the right side of home plate cheered. Sam clapped as he cheered.

"Nice one, Jon!" Sam called to his son.

John was not to happy when Sam said he was going to his son's baseball game when he should have been home with the rest, trying to figure out about this new demon problem. In fact, both men had gotten into an argument about it, and Sam stormed out of there, taking his kids with him. Sam understood there were demons around, looking for his daughter, but over the last five days, he didn't even let little Mary out of his sight, except for school and then he sent Castiel to watch over her. Sam felt uneasy having Jonathan out of his sight, too. Since Jonathan was older and had a lot of friends, he spent most of his time at their house, working on homework, practicing, or just hanging out. Don't get him wrong, Sam was glad Jonathan had friends and could have fun, but it didn't stop him from worrying about the kid.

Little Mary sat next to her father on the bleachers. She was more interested in playing a game on Sam's iPhone, then watching her brother's game. In fact, she was so involved in the phone game, little Mary did not hear who walked up to them.

"Earth to Mary."

She finally looked up to see her uncle Dean standing there. A big smile appeared on the little girl's face. "Uncle Dean!" Little Mary climbed down from the bleachers, standing on the last one as Dean scooped her up into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him. "I missed you, Uncle Dean."

Dean kissed the side of her head. "I missed you, too, Tiger," he replied. "Hey, I saw a playground on my way here. Why don't you let my friend, Bobby here take you over there so your dad and I could talk."

Mary had not seen the older guy next to her uncle, standing there before. She looked at the man, unsure.

"Boy, you were right, Dean," said Bobby, his eyes on Mary. "She does look just like Sam."

Sam was using his right hand to shield the sun from his eyes. "Actually Dean, I'd prefer it if Mary was in my sight and that playground is on the other side of the park."

"It's Bobby, Sam," Dean told his brother. "You know Mary will be fine with Bobby keeping an eye on her."

"I know, and I do trust Bobby, but Dean, you weren't there. You didn't see what the demon could do." Sam kept his voice down so no one would hear him.

"And you think Mary being with you is safer?" he asked. "What is with you, today, Sam? First you act like everything is fine and just go to Jon's game, and then you won't even let Bobby take Mary over to the playground? I don't know what is going on in that head of yours, but it needs to change. Like it or not, we all have things to do, Sam and it doesn't involve watching Jon's game. It won't kill you to miss one game."

Sam was trying to ignore his brother, watching the game instead. The teams had changed and Jonathan was getting ready to bat. Jonathan looked back at his family and could hear his uncle yelling at his father. He hated it when they fought. This was the first time Sam and Dean had an argument at his game, though.

Dean just shook his head, laughing. "It's like talking to a brick wall," he laughed before getting serious again. "I'm taking Mary home before a you-know-what is attracted here and scares everyone. I'll see you at home." Dean turned to leave, putting his niece down on her feet.

Mary handed her father, his phone and gave him a hug and kiss, good-bye. It snapped Sam out of his trance.

"Huh?" he asked.

"I said, good-bye, Daddy," Mary repeated.

"Good-bye, you're not going anywhere," said Sam.

"Uncle Dean is taking me home," she said.

"Dean, do you not understand that I want Mary with me?" Sam asked Dean.

"I'm sorry to have to say this, Sam but you have an unhealthy relationship with Jon and Mary. Mary will be fine with me and last time I checked, she had some kind of angel watching over her. Isn't that what you told me?" asked Dean.

"You know what, Dean, why don't you have your own kid and then question the way I parent mine."

"You don't think I worry about them, too? This whole week, I didn't sleep at all. I did my job as quick as I could when you called the second time and told me about what happened."

Suddenly, they heard the umpire shout, "Strike two!" and a few seconds later, Jonathan was standing at the fence.

"Can you guys not do this now?" he asked of his father and uncle. "First of all, it's embarrassing, and second, I can't concentrate. You sound like an old married couple and I want it to stop. Mary and I never have as many fights as you have. Just stop it, okay?"

Both men apologized and Jonathan returned to home plate, swinging the bat a couple times before placing it up and in batting position. They watched the pitcher nod at the catcher, and then pitched the ball. As soon as the time was right, Jonathan swung and hit the ball, sending it into the air. Jonathan dropped the bat and ran for first base as the crowd stood on its feet. The ball soared through the air, into outfield.

When Jonathan touched first base, he kept running, running towards second, then third. Meanwhile, someone in centerfield caught the ball and threw it to second base. Jonathan was just touching third. Something came over him and he just kept running, even though everyone was telling him to stay.

Jonathan ran like he never ran before. The ball landed into the glove of the third baseman and flew passed him as he ran. When the catcher caught it, Jonathan ran back to third. The catcher threw it back, which the third baseman caught. Soon, the catcher and third baseman were playing catch as Jonathan ran back and forth.

Finally, Jonathan took a chance and slid into home plate. Even though the catcher caught it first, he was not able to tag him until after Jonathan touched the plate and the umpire called him, safe.

The crowd cheered as Jonathan stood up. His white uniform had patches of dirt on it now as he walked to the dugout. Dean was waiting at the back entrance to give his nephew a high-five and told him, great job.

"What made you just go for it?" Dean asked.

Jonathan shrugged. "I don't know. You and Dad were still on my mind and suddenly I felt like a cheetah." He took his helmet off and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I'm glad you were here to see it, Uncle Dean."

Dean smiled, "Yeah, me too. I'll see ya at home. Okay?"

"You're not staying?" he asked.

"No, there's some stuff that needs taken care of if I ever want to see you do that again."

"Nah, I wouldn't do that again."

Dean asked, "Why not?"

"Because, there's no guarantee it will work out," Jonathan told him. "I just got lucky, this time."

Dean ruffled the kid's hair, then turned and started heading for his car. Bobby and Mary followed. Even though Sam did not like it one bit, Dean taking his daughter. He knew Mary was in very good hands. Sam just didn't want to think about his daughter not being in his sight.

Mary was hoping along the cracks in the sidewalk as Dean and Bobby walked behind her.

"Both of them look like Sam," Bobby was telling Dean.

"Yeah, I look at them and I remember what I saw of their mother and I just don't see any of her in them. You would think Mary would have at least one thing from her. Isn't it usually the daughter that looks like the mother, and the son looks like the father?"

"That's just an old wise tale, girls can look like their father, and boys can like their mother," said Bobby.

Mary stopped jumping and started walking backwards. "Does this mean I get to ride in your car, Uncle Dean?" she asked.

Dean grinned, "You bet, Tiger."

"Yay!" Mary cheered, excited. She skipped the rest of the way to the car.

Bobby watched her. "She never been in the Impala?" he asked Dean.

"Sam won't let the kids ride with me, since I don't have seatbelts. I've been meaning to install some," Dean explained. "Jon has helped me under the hood, dozens of times, but all he got to do was just sit in it. Poor kid."

"So, Jonathan is into cars like his uncle, huh," Bobby grinned.

"And girls," Dean added. "This one is obsessed with pie like me. Right, Tiger?"

Mary stopped, looking back at her uncle. "Huh?" she asked.

"I said you're obsessed with pie, just like me, huh?" he repeated.

Mary giggled, and then continued skipping. There were a few moments where the girl in her came out. It was rare, but it was there.

"How come you're not married with your own kids?" Bobby asked.

Dean shrugged. "I'm too busy keeping the family business alive. Besides, just because Jon and Mary are my niece and nephew, doesn't mean I don't think of them as my own. I have a huge part in raising them just as much as Sam does. I'm pretty much like a second father to them."

As Mary skipped, her left foot got caught on her other one and tumbled, face first into the cement. Dean saw it happen out of the corner of his eye and hurried over to lift her up. Mary was crying now as tears ran down her face.

Dean kneeled in front of her. "Let me see, where does it hurt?" he asked.

"My nose hurts and my hands hurt," she cried.

Dean pushed on her forehead to look up her nose. "There's no bleeding, you'll be fine. I think you just bruised it. We'll stop at the gas station and get some ice to put on it so it doesn't swell." Next, he looked at her palms. They were a pinkish color, but nothing else. "You're fine. There's no blood there, either, Tiger," he assured her and kissed her nose and hands where they hurt.

Bobby was impressed. "Wow, Dean."

He stood up. "What?"

"Never thought you'd be the "kissing boo-boos" kind of guy." Bobby let out a chuckle after he said that. "Do you go to tea parties, too?"

"Honesty, no," said Dean.

"No?" Bobby asked.

"Tea parties are lame." Mary had stopped crying when her uncle gave her kisses. Her voice still sounded like she was, though.

"Oh they are, huh," the older man smiled down at her.

She nodded.

They started walking again. Mary walked in between the men, holding onto Dean's hand.

"Mary is not your average girl," Dean explained to Bobby. "We're guessing, living in a house full of dudes made her into…damn it, I always forget what it's called."

Mary got excited again. "Ooh, Uncle Dean," she said. "You owe a dollar to the curse jar!"

Bobby raised an eye brow. "The curse jar?"

"It was Sam's idea, when Mary repeated a word she heard me say, once. When the kids use a curse word, a dollar is taken out. When me or Sam say a curse word in front of the kids, then we have to put a dollar in."

"That's smart," Bobby complimented. "Are the kids able to spend it?"

"Yes, at the end of the month, Jon and Mary have to agree on some kind of toy they could share or something like the movies or going out to eat."

"Do they or is there usually arguing involved?"

"No, because they know that if they can't agree on something, then the money stays in the jar for another month. I was surprised one time when they kept saving it for, I think three months, when they wanted a video game."

"So they get along?" Bobby asked.

"For the most part, yes." Dean shrugged. "Before I moved in, Jon was a mean little kid, who tormented his little sister, now it's the other way around."

"Probably getting her brother back for tormenting her," Bobby chuckled.

The three of them finally made it to the Impala. Dean unlocked Mary's door, opening it for her so she could climb in, shutting it afterwards. Dean and Bobby got into the front seat, shutting their doors.

"Oh no!" said Mary.

Dean looked back, over his right shoulder. "What's wrong?" he asked her.

"My iPod is in Daddy's car," she told him.

"Seriously, you can't go a couple hours without your boyfriend?"

Mary blushed at her uncle's words. "He's not my boyfriend, Uncle Dean."

"I take it, she like's that Beiber kid who should be like, what, late twenties, early thirties," Bobby spoke up.

"No, it's not him, thank God." Dean opened his door and stepped back out. There had been an open parking space beside Sam's car and Dean had taken it. He unlocked the right, back door and grabbed a toy version of an iPod from Mary's booster seat, shutting and locking it back. Dean got back into his car, handing his niece her iPod. "What do you say?" he reminded her.

"Thank you, Uncle Dean," Mary thanked her uncle before placing the small headphones over her ears and turned it on.

"You're welcome," he replied, starting the engine.

"And why do you have a key to Sam's car?" asked Bobby, who was watching the entire thing.

"Sam likes to be prepared, even though I told him I would never drive his car. He said, you never know. Trust me, I do." Dean backed out and drove from the parking lot, heading for the gas station first, on his way home.

**Author's Note: This is supposed to take place way after the show. Just pointing that out to explain Bobby's comment on Justin Beiber. Not sure if I spelled his name right either. Not really a fan of his.**


	8. Chapter 8

**What some of you have been waiting for, is finally here. Dean and little Mary's confrontation about the journal. I couldn't really write as much without repeating what Sam had told little Mary when they discussed it. Thanks to those who have reviewed, by the way. I really think this is my best Fanfiction story I wrote so far.**

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 8

Dean, Bobby, and little Mary walked in the door of the Winchester household. Mary Sr. was in the kitchen, making lunch. The smell instantly hit the men and little girl's nostrils as they sniffed the air of Velveeta shells and cheese and homemade cheeseburgers.

Dean walked over to his mother. "Smells good, Mom," he smiled and gave her a hug.

"Thank you, sweetheart," she replied, hugging him in return.

"I'm so glad we have you back." Dean didn't know what he was saying. When he talked to her on the phone, that night, Dean was almost speechless. Even though he had already ran into Bobby, who was also back from the dead, and weren't really a shock, it still kind of was to him. Dean never expected to hear his mother's sweet voice again and when he did, his heart longed to get back there and hug her close.

"I'm glad to be back, too but none of us knows if this is just temporarily or for good," his mother said as she continued to hold her oldest son.

Dean stood back, swallowing a lump in his throat. Mary Sr. stroked the side of his face with the back of his hand. "You boys have surely grown into fine, young gentlemen and you're both doing so well with our grandchildren." She told him.

Dean smiled, "Thanks, Mom."

"I'm hungry," little Mary ruined the mother and son moment. It wasn't intentional, little Mary didn't really understand what was truly going on.

Dean looked down at his niece. "Is it okay to interrupt an adult's conversation, Mary Joanne?" he scolded her.

"No," she answered, her eyes moving to the floor.

"Look at me," Dean said, sternly.

Little Mary looked back up at her uncle.

"Your grandmother and I are talking at the moment. In fact, I want you to go sit in my chair and wait for me, since we still need to have our discussion about your grandfather's journal."

"But…"

"One…two…"

Little Mary did not try to argue when she heard her uncle counting and hurried over to his favorite dark green, soft covered recliner, on the opposite side of the couch from the kitchen. She sat the recliner, bringing her knees up to her as she hugged a couch pillow in her left arm and began sucking on her thumb as she stared at the TV screen as Castiel was flipping through the channels.

"Thumb out," Dean reminded his niece, which meant she needed to remove it from her mouth.

Little Mary quickly moved her thumb away.

"You need to break that habit, Mary," he told her.

Mary Sr. tried defending her granddaughter. "That's how she copes with stuff, Dean. Go easy on her."

"She's six, Mom," Dean said. "She's not a baby anymore. I'm thinking about taking her stuffed animals away until she does stop."

"No!" little Mary cried out.

"Then you better quit sucking your thumb," Dean said, sternly still. He shook his head, turning back to his mother and lowered his voice. "I swear, Sam needs to quit babying her. Anyway, what were we saying?"

Mary Sr. repeated what she had said right before the younger Mary had interrupted them. "But now that I've seen you and Mary together, Dean, don't you think you're being too hard on her?"

Dean shook his head. "No, I'm not, Mom. I understand being afraid of nightmares and the dark, and all, and wanting me or Sam, and the music I understand, too since I hum Metallica to help ease my fear of flying, but the thumb-sucking needs to go. First of all, the kid is already going to need braces, I can tell by the way her front teeth are sticking out."

"Have you tried talking to her about it?" she asked.

"Yes, I told her she will spend years with a miniature railroad in her mouth, and not being able to speak clearly."

Mary Sr. crossed her arms in front of her. "I don't recall you or Sam ever sucking your thumb."

"I would take a guess and say her mother might have, but I'm leaning more towards…"

Mary Sr. interrupted her first born. "Stop blaming your brother for everything, I'm sure he's trying to be a good father. Parenthood is not an easy task, Dean."

"Oh, I know," he said. "Sometimes it feels like I'm the father, and Sam's the mother. Sam has been known for being a girl, at times."

"Dean," she scolded, sternly.

Meanwhile, Bobby who had sat on the couch, next to Castiel who was now watching cartoons, moved to kneel in front of little Mary's seat. "Mind if I ask ya something?" Bobby asked the little girl.

Little Mary nodded slowly, staring at him now.

"How come you still suck your finger, ain't ya afraid of being teased?"

"I don't do it at school," she replied.

"Well, why do it anywhere else?" Bobby wasn't trying to sound harsh or anything. He just wanted to know.

She just shrugged.

"Just feels good?"

Little Mary nodded, slowly.

"Do you want your teeth to be in bad shape, though?"

She shook her head.

"Then you should probably stop, huh."

Again, she shook her head.

Bobby stood up and looked over where Dean and his mother were still talking. "Hey Dean, got any vinegar?"

"Should be in the pantry," he told the older hunter. "Why?"

Bobby walked over to the kitchen, looking in the pantry. "It's a family secret in our family, to rub vinegar on the kid's thumb to make them stop sucking their thumb. Usually works, too."

"Well, if it works, go right ahead," Dean told him.

Bobby found the bottle of vinegar and went back over to where little Mary was sitting. Dean followed, as Mary Sr. tended to lunch. Little Mary had snuck her thumb back to her mouth when no one was looking.

"Could I see your hand, kiddo?" Bobby asked her.

Little Mary shook her head.

"Give Bobby your hand, Mary Joanne," said Dean.

Bobby was folding a paper towel he had also brought back and flipped the bottle upside down, with the paper towel on the top. He then rubbed the wet part of the towel all over her thumb, doing the same with the other one before he stood up. "Do that every time and after a few days, she should stop," Bobby shrugged.

"And you sure it works?" Dean asked.

"It should, or you got one stubborn kid on your hands." Bobby went to put the vinegar away and throw away the paper towel as Dean lifted his niece up and sat down in his recliner, setting her in his lap.

Little Mary tried putting her thumb in her mouth to prove the old hunter wrong, but kept getting an awful taste in her mouth and quickly removed it.

Dean reached down and pulled back the wooden lever, bringing the footrest up. "You know I'm not trying to be mean with your thumb-sucking, right? I'm trying to help you. You're six years old in the first grade. Next year, you will be in second grade, turning seven. You're a big girl and big girls don't suck their thumbs."

She nodded, slowly.

"If the vinegar doesn't work, your stuffed animals will be sleeping in my room. Then I'll send them to Goodwill if this continues."

"But, they're mine," little Mary tried to protest.

"Then you better quit sucking your thumb," he warned her. "Does Pikachu suck his thumb?"

She shook her head.

"Do I suck my thumb?" Dean was trying to use her heroes to get his point across and he knew he was one of them.

"No," she said.

"Then follow our example. I hate for you to be picked on like your father was, for being a wimp."

"But Jon doesn't let anyone pick on me, he sticks up for me."

"I did, too but doesn't mean it still won't happen," Dean shrugged.

Little Mary started to cry. Dean pulled her down, onto his chest, comforting her as he rubbed her back.

"Kids are cruel, Tiger, and you have to toughen up if you want to survive in this world," he told her. "Okay?"

Little Mary nodded against her uncle's chest. She inched herself higher where her left ear could hear his heartbeat, which was at a normal rate. Little Mary loved listening her father and uncle's heartbeats when she was sad, afraid, or worried. It was one of the few things that calmed her down besides sucking on her thumb or listening to her favorite singer, Eamonn McCrystal, a singer from Ireland that had moved to the United States, years ago.

Dean really did worry about his niece and the way she acted. She seemed so afraid, most of the time which was what surprised him when he heard little Mary had been reading her grandfather's journal. He figured it should have scared her enough to not keep reading. Dean had to find out why. "Hey, why did you take your grandfather's journal?"

"I don't know," she shrugged without lifting her head.

"Don't try the dumb act, Mary, you're smarter than that," he told her. "Why did you take it?"

Little Mary scrunched some of her uncle's black T-shirt in her right hand. Dean reached under her blue and white, striped T-shirt and gently scratched her back to help ease some tension. "I…wanted to know what was in it," she finally said.

"Didn't your dad and I tell you we don't want you to know what is in that book?"

She nodded against him.

"I didn't want you and your brother to find out about what's really out there until you were older. I wanted you both to be normal kids," said Dean. "Did your dad tell you the first time he read it?"

John had wandered down the stairs, and was wandering into the living room at that point as little Mary replied, "no, but Grandpa wrote it in the journal. He knew Daddy was doing it." Hearing his granddaughter talk about him, made John look up from the news articles he found online.

"Did your grandpa mention how your dad wasn't the same after he learned of the monsters that are out there, how Grandpa had to start training him to hunt in order to protect himself?"

"No, Grandpa started talking about Christmas, and being away from you and Daddy with no tree or carrots for Santa." Little Mary lifted her head to look at her uncle. "Why did you leave carrots? Santa likes cookies, not carrots. That's why he's fat."

Dean tried to stifle a snicker but failed. "The carrots were for the reindeer," he told her.

John walked behind the couch and squatted beside Dean's recliner. "Mary, that day your father found out about where I went and what I did, broke my heart. Your uncle and I were trying to protect him as long as we possibly could, but your dad was just like you, curious and a little rebellious. We wouldn't tell him anything, so he took matters into his own hands. Is that how you felt?" Little Mary did not answer. She wasn't expecting her grandfather would take that as a yes. "Your dad and uncle wouldn't tell you, and when you found my journal, you thought you would find out for yourself, huh? I know. I have kids of my own. Silence is an answer, too."

"Daddy and Uncle Dean always whisper about things when Uncle Dean leaves for his trips and I try to listen but they talk so low and in a way I don't get, saying it's a grown-up matter," she told her grandfather.

"And there was a reason for that, too," Dean said.

John reached out and tried to touch little Mary's shoulder. "I haven't brought this up yet, because I know your dad's gonna argue me on it, but now that you know what's out there, we need to start training you so you can protect yourself from the monsters."

Dean bit his lip upon hearing that, his eyes shut.

John noticed, too. He drew his hand away from his niece's shoulder. "I know it's hard to hear that, Dean, but it's necessary. Your house has some thick woods around it and I bet there's some deer and rabbits around. I want to take Mary animal-hunting to teach her how to shoot."

Little Mary's eyes grew wide. "Like Uncle Dean's hunting game?"

"Uh, not sure what that is."

Dean was trying to keep his composure, running both hands through his short, blond hair. "It's a video game the kids got me for my birthday, last year. You're a hunter that hunts deer, bears, pumas, stuff like that."

John looked back at his granddaughter. "Do you play it, Mare?"

She nodded, excitedly. "It's awesome, Grandpa. I can teach you when I can play again. Daddy says I can't play for two weeks, though." That had been what Sam had decided as her punishment for taking and reading the journal since she plays the Nintendo Wii more than anything else.

"How would you like to learn for real?"

"Yeah!"

Mary Sr. had been listening the whole time, along with Bobby and Castiel, who was trying to pretend to be interested more in the Smurfs. "John, don't get her all excited yet, you don't even have permission from her father and uncle."

Bobby agreed with her.

"They don't really have a choice, Mary," John told his wife. "Now that MJ knows about the supernatural, she needs to learn how to deal with them. I backed off that day when I wanted to train both of them, but when I heard she read my journal, that went down the drain."

Little Mary got her grandparents' attention when she asked, "What's wrong, Uncle Dean?"

Dean could not keep it up any longer and tears were pouring down his face. "Dad's right, Mom," he managed to choke out. "Mary knows what's lurking in the shadows now, she has to learn." Dean gently pushed his niece off and stood up. Grabbing his jacket off the back of the couch, he headed for the front door. Right as he yanked it open, Sam was about to stick his key in the lock to unlock it.

"Dean? What's wrong?" he asked when he saw tears on his brother's face.

Dean just pushed past him and his nephew, going to the Impala. Jonathan tried to call out that his team was in the finals but Dean did not respond. He got in the Impala and drove off towards his favorite bar.


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry it took a few days to update, I had midterms this week and a friend of mine was launching his new online show and needed me to do a recorded SKYPE session for it, with him. **

**I'm not that great at writing interrogation scenes so sorry if this chapter isn't one of my best. For some reason, I'm looking forward to the next chapter, with John and his granddaughter, though. **

**A Winchester Story **

Chapter 9

Sam closed the front door behind his son, wondering the heck was going on. His brother had run out, without as much as a hello. Everything was awkwardly quiet as he peered around the room. "What's going on here?" he finally asked.

John let a sigh as he sat on the arm of the couch. "Jon, take your sister upstairs," he told his grandson as he stared at the floor in front of him.

Jonathan looked up at his father, who nodded. The boy walked over, his sports bag over his left shoulder and took his sister by the hand, leading her to the stairs.

"And Mary, do not tell your brother about anything you learned in my journal or what the two of us is gonna do. Understand?" John called after the kids.

"Okay, Grandpa," she said as they climbed the stairs.

"I'll come get you when we're done talking so we can talk."

She nodded before they disappeared.

"Shut your doors and do not eavesdrop!" Sam added. He had a sinking feeling he knew what was going on, now. Sam folded his arms, tightly across his chest, his eyes darting directly towards his father. "Why do I get the feeling this revolves around you?" he shot, coldly.

John sighed, knowing he was right about Sam's reaction to all that was going on. "Don't start, Sam. You know this is the way it has to happen now."

They tried to keep their voices down so if the kids did try to eavesdrop, they couldn't hear. "I told you before Dad, my kids are not going to hunt," Sam argued back.

"I'm not saying MJ has to hunt, all I'm saying is, now that she knows what's really out there, she has to learn how to protect herself. I don't like it either, and I will help make sure Jonathan never finds out, but we have to face facts here, Sammy."

"No, I told Mary to forget everything she read in that book."

"There's no forgetting this," said John. "Did you forget when you first read it?"

"No, because you wouldn't let me. Well, I have a choice with my daughter, and I will make sure she doesn't have to deal with any of this."

Bobby, who was sitting over at the kitchen table, stood up and walked over to Sam. "Sam, did you forget about that demon that's after her?" he reminded Sam. "I don't like the idea of a six-year-old learning how to shoot a gun as much as you do, considering how sweet and innocent she seems, but she has the right to know what's after her."

Sam leaned forward on the back of the couch, on his hands and dropped his head. "I tried so hard to keep my kids protected from the supernatural." Tears were falling from his eyes now. "My sweet, little Mary was the most innocent kid I ever knew. Whatever she said, it could light up a room with laughter."

Mary Sr. went over to comfort her youngest son. "I understand how you feel, Sammy," she told him, touching his arm. "We all do."

"Please, Sam, can I take her deer hunting?" John asked.

Sam nodded without looking up. "There's something you guys should see." He stood up straight, taking a rolled up newspaper from his pocket and unfolded it. Sam passed it to his father.

On the front a headline read:

_Several Found Dead _

"No perpetrator found, but amounts of what appears to be sulfur was found. It appears there may have been an explosion because bodies were found in pieces." John read out loud. "This is what I found online."

"Does it say where?" Castiel asked, intrigued.

"Three towns over."

"I'd say, we better get over there and check things out," said Bobby.

"You guys go, I'll stay back and start MJ's training," John told them. It was confusing for him, calling both his wife and granddaughter, so he adopted the nickname, MJ for little Mary, considering she wouldn't always be little.

Sam asked, "What about Jon?"

"I'll stay with him," Mary Sr. spoke up.

Castiel was on his feet, now. "What about Dean?"

"I'll get him," said Sam. "I probably know where he is. Coming, Bobby?"

"What do you think?" the older hunter told him.

Sam smiled.

They hurried out to Sam's car and got in, heading for the bar Dean had driven to. Castiel left to find Gabriel and to meet the men at the place where people were murdered. John hurried upstairs, to his granddaughter's bedroom.

Dean sat at the bar, a bottle of beer clutched in his hand. He thought about the last three years with his niece and nephew, watching them grow. Both of their smiling faces kept flashing through his mind. They were such beautiful and innocent kids. Dean knew Jonathan had a future in sports. The kid was a natural and was always team captain. Jonathan was a pitcher, quarterback, and point guard. He was fast on making important decisions that could help his team and could almost always keep order. Just like his uncle.

Dean remembered tossing the football with him and playing catch, helping the boy get better and better. It took a lot of hard work and determination also, to get Jonathan where he was now. They would spend hours outside their house, just practicing. When Dean and his nephew weren't practicing, Dean was teaching Jonathan about cars, having Jonathan help him work on the Impala. Dean promised when Jonathan graduated high school and go on to college, he would give the Impala to Jonathan as a graduation gift, and Dean was gonna make damn sure he would keep that promise, too.

And little Mary, she was his world. She was his little tiger cub. When Dean and Mary play-wrestled, she always looked like a tiger cub getting ready to pounce. Hence his pet name for her. Dean loved how he was her hero. His whole wall above his bed were covered in framed pictures, Mary had drawn for him over the last few years.

Dean thought about the song Mary would sing to him that her favorite singer sang. When he was on a hunt, and thought he was on the brink of the end, those words sang out through his mind and suddenly Dean felt more determined to carry on.

He took a long drink of his beer before taking his wallet from his back pocket and opened it up. There, inside were the same pictures Sam had in his, minus the one Sam had with Mariah. Dean smiled, looking through the photos of Jonathan and Mary at different ages. He even had one of Jonathan's baseball, basketball, and football pictures. He had one of when Mary took karate last summer, Sam had taken on the day of her first lesson.

Dean was so deep in thought he didn't hear his brother walk up, behind him. "Hey Dean," Sam said, softly.

Dean looked back, over his shoulder, then back at his wallet, "Hey, Sammy."

Sam took a seat beside his brother. "You okay?"

"What do you think?"

"Look man, I know how you feel, you know how I felt about keeping Mary and Jon away from knowing there were ghosts, and demons, and other stuff out there. I don't want Dad teaching Mary what he taught us, but what choice do we have? She knows and there's no going back. Let's just hope Jonathan doesn't find out, though. That kid has a future ahead of him. Not that Mary didn't. I see her doing something with art, with all the pictures she draws and always playing with play dough."

Dean forced a laugh. "I see her making video games."

Sam did, too, and then frowned again. "We tried, Dean. We really tried to keep the kids safe and normal, and there's still hope with Jon." His tears returned, falling down his cheeks.

Dean sniffed, "I'll tell you one thing, when all this is over and this sonofabitch and his damn demons are gone, my little tiger is never picking up a gun." He looked over at Sam. "In fact, it better be as a very last resort for her."

Sam nodded, agreeing. "Come on, Bobby waiting outside for us. There was an article in today's paper and we think it has something to do with these new demons."

Dean took out a ten, tossing it on the bar. "What makes you say that?"

"Sulfur was found, just like the ones we're used to."

"We're taking my car, by the way," Dean said as they left the bar.

Sam let out an irritated sigh. "I don't see what's so bad about my car."

Dean looked at his brother. "You don't see?"

He shrugged. "No, I don't."

Dean rolled his eyes as they headed out to the parking lot. They all got into the Impala, just like old times and Dean drove three towns over. It was a three hour drive there. Sam hated to admit it, but he missed hearing the words, _are we there yet _and _I have to go to the bathroom_ when they had just left a gas station, fifteen minutes ago. When Dean was home, the four of them took road trips up to the lake, spending the weekend there. The men taught the kids how to fish and Dean forced showed them how to swim by tossing each one into the lake, getting glared at by Sam.

"Hey Dean, are we there yet?" Sam laughed.

Dean glared at his brother from the corner of his eye. "So not funny, dude."

Sam continued to laugh.

Bobby was looking between the two of them from the backseat. "Did I miss something here?"

Sam looked back at him, his left arm on the back of the front seat. "'Are we there' is Mary's favorite phase to say when we take the kids to the lake," he explained. "Dean hates it."

That tickled Bobby's funny bone just thinking about it.

"Yeah, and after the tenth time, it lost its cuteness," Dean added.

"Come on, Dean," Sam smiled. "How can anything, Mary says or does lose its cuteness."

"By repeating it over and over again, like a broken record."

"Wait, if Dean doesn't go near your car, Sam, and the kids can't ride in Dean's, how did you go to the lake?" Bobby asked, suddenly confused.

"Oh, Dean's been in my car before, he just won't admit it," said Sam. "The road trips are the only time, though." Sam looked forward, his arm still on the back of the seat. It had been almost twenty years since the three of them were out working a job together. Sam stayed in thought, not realizing that the men had finally arrived at the crime scene.

The men got out and walked over to where a police officer was standing, writing in a small notepad. They took out their fake badges, showing it to the officer.

"We're with FBI, we heard there was an explosion here that killed several people," Sam was the one to speak.

The officer stared at them. "I didn't know the FBI needed to be on this case."

"Yeah, well when we heard no perps were identified, we stepped in," explained Dean.

"Can you tell us exactly what happened, sir?" asked Sam.

The officer shrugged. "Everything seemed fine. Workers showed up to work on time, like they do every morning, then something blew up. We're guessing a gas leak, maybe or something like that."

"No suspicious fingerprints?" Dean asked.

The officer shook his head. "The place is clean, except for traces of some kind of powder. We would take that as someone trying to blow up the place, but it's not any kind of gun powder."

"Have there been other explosions like this?" Bobby asked, this time.

"No, this is the first and only one."

"Mind if we take a look around?" Sam asked.

"Be my guest," the officer told him. "My men have already looked though."

"We'd like to look for ourselves."

The brothers and Bobby thanked the police officer for his time and headed up to what was left of the building. Windows were black and blown out, doors were missing, and the building looked burnt up. Sam, Dean, and Bobby each took a floor and used their EMF meters to see if it was indeed demons. The readings were off the chart, though and the EMF meters ended up, breaking down. Whatever was there, were some pretty strong beings. Plus, like they thought, the three of them found traces of sulfur. They met back up, outside to discuss what they found.


	10. Chapter 10

**This chapter came out unexpected for the most part. **

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 10

John and Mary Sr. sat down to lunch with their grandchildren since they were the only ones home and John didn't want his wife's cooking to go to waste.

John was sitting at the end of the kitchen table, facing the front door, digging into his homemade cheeseburger. "Boy, Mary," he said, wiping some ketchup and mustard from around his mouth with a napkin. "I never thought I'd get to taste your wonderful burgers again."

"Huh?" little Mary responded.

John smiled down at his granddaughter. "Not you, MJ," he told her, "I mean your grandmother."

"Oh," she replied. "Are we leaving after lunch, Grandpa?"

"No, we're not going until tomorrow," he said. "First, you have to do some studying."

"Like at school?"

"Sort of."

"Go where?" Jonathan asked. "Can I come?" Both kids were sitting on either side of their grandfather. Mary Sr. was sitting on little Mary's other side.

"No, but I promise we will do something together, too. Maybe we can catch a ballgame or something," John told the boy.

"John, why are you making promising we don't know you can keep?" his wife asked of him.

"Because I'm gonna try to. They can't actually…you know. Unless we, you know, again, I doubt they would do it." John wasn't sure if he should tell his grandchildren that he and their grandmother were back from the dead or not, or if Sam would allow it anyway. John was already in the doghouse with his youngest son, anyway, for training little Mary. He did not want to live in the doghouse.

"What's you know?" little Mary asked, eating her mac and cheese first.

"Nothing, sweetheart," Mary Sr. told her.

"How come grown-ups always talk in code?" Little Mary did not like it when an adult talked secretly around her and never explained what they were talking about.

"We have to go by what your father and uncle wants you to know or not know," she explained to the little girl. "And Grandpa and I aren't sure if they want you to know what we're talking about, right now."

"Mary wants to know everything," said Jonathan. "She's more curious than a cat."

"Am not!" little Mary argued.

"Are too," he argued back.

"Am not!"

"That's enough, both of you!" John exclaimed. He looked between the two kids as they stopped.

Little Mary stuck her tongue out at her older brother.

Mary Sr. saw it and asked, "Mary, where do tongues belong?"

"In my mouth," she answered, quietly.

"Can we please have a nice time while your dad and uncle are gone?" John asked as they continued eating.

Jonathan nodded. "Dad's rule is if we misbehave for whoever watches us, he spanks us when he gets home."

"Well then, you better behave," John told him, his eyebrows raised.

Mary Sr. tried to change the subject. "So, how was your game, Jon?" she asked her grandson.

Jonathan brightened up, excited to talk about his game he had that morning. He told his grandparents everything that happened, including the amazing homerun he scored, making sure to use complete details. Jonathan wanted to give them enough as if they had gone to his game, too.

"Wow, wish I could have seen that," John said when Jonathan was finished.

Mary Sr. agreed. "Me, too."

"My next game is tomorrow, you can see me play, then," said Jonathan.

"I will be there," Mary Sr. smiled.

Jonathan looked at his grandfather. "You too, Grandpa."

"I can't, buddy," said John, sadly. "Your sister and I have stuff to do, tomorrow, remember?"

Jonathan stared down at his food, sadly.

John reached over to grasp his grandson's right shoulder. "I told you, I will make it up to you. How many games do you have left, this season?"

Jonathan kept staring at his food. "If we win tomorrow, then we play next Saturday."

"You're in a league, aren't you?" John took his hand back.

He nodded. "Can I be excused?"

"Don't you want to finish eating?" Mary Sr. asked.

Jonathan shook his head, this time and stood up. He headed upstairs to his room and threw himself down on his bed, turning on his Xbox360 and TV. He started playing his latest Madden game. After twenty minutes, there was a knock on his door. "Come in!" he called.

The door opened and John came in, shutting the door behind him. "Mind if I come in and talk about what happened downstairs?"

Jonathan shrugged, "Sure."

John walked over and sat on Jonathan's computer chair, sideways and watched his grandson choose the next play for his team. He glanced around the room at all the sports, cars, and Stars Wars stuff. There were also a few movie posters of Iron Man, Spiderman, and Star Wars. "Hey Jon, I wanted to let you know, if I could I would go to your game tomorrow," he finally said.

"Yeah, sure," Jonathan shrugged it off like it wasn't a big deal anymore.

"I mean it, if I didn't have to take MJ somewhere and we didn't have something else to take care of, I would."

Jonathan paused his game to look at him. "Can't you come to my game and take Mary wherever you're going?" he asked.

"No, Mary has a lot to learn in a short amount of time."

"Why?" he asked, curious.

John sighed. "All I can say is that someone is after your sister."

That statement made Jonathan sit up, straight. "What do you mean? Who's after my sister?"

"I can't tell you, Jonathan but you don't have to worry because your dad, uncle, and I will not let anything happen to her, or you, for that matter."

"Of course I'm going to worry, that's my little sister you're talking about. I have to protect her, too," Jonathan told his grandfather. John could see a fear in his eye.

"No, Jon, just be a kid," he told him. "Let us adults handle it. I let your uncle be responsible your dad, growing up and I don't want it repeated with you."

"But, I'm her big brother," Jonathan tried to protest.

"I understand that, but it's not your job to take care of her. I don't even want your sister involved in this, either."

"It's because of Uncle Dean's book Mary read, isn't it?" he realized.

John nodded. "I wrote that to help others when they need it. Now that your sister knows those secrets, she will never be the same again. Mary lost her innocence and I don't want you to lose yours, too."

"Can't Mary get it back?"

He shook his head. "She can try, but once a person knows, it's hard to return to a normal life."

Jonathan threw himself back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. "I should have done something. I should have paid more attention. I've been so caught up with baseball I wasn't paying any attention to my little sister. I could have stopped her in time before she read it."

John moved closer, to sit beside Jonathan, on his bed. "It wasn't your fault, your sister made her own choice. She knew she wasn't supposed to read my journal and she did anyway, and had to face up to it. We all wish Mary hadn't, but we can't change the past. What's done is done."

Jonathan sat up, staring at the wood floor. A tear fell from his right eye. "Will Mary be alright?"

John put his arm around him. "We won't let anything happen, I promise."

John and little Mary spent the rest of the afternoon in Sam's office, going through his journal and several other books. John taught his granddaughter about every single supernatural being there was, including how to defeat them, and what their weaknesses were. He also taught her about gun safety and how to clean them.

"The most important thing you should know is, that these are not toys and I better not see you messing around with them," he was explaining to her. "Like I told your father and uncle when they were kids, I will not hesitate to beat your ass. Understand?"

Little Mary nodded. "Can I say something, Grandpa?"

"Of course, you can always ask me anything."

"No, it's not a question," she told him. "You cussed so you owe a dollar to the Curse Jar."

"The what?" he asked.

"The Curse Jar, when Daddy or Uncle Dean cuss, they have to put in a dollar," little Mary explained. "Unless Jon or I cuss, than a dollar is taken out. That's the rule."

"Well, I don't have a dollar and since I am an adult, I can cuss."

Little Mary crossed her arms across her chest. "Then I'm telling Daddy on you when he gets home."

John couldn't help but laugh. "You do know, I'm your dad's dad, right?"

"So Daddy can't make you put a dollar in the Curse Jar?" she asked, knowing she was defeated.

"Pretty much. Now, come on, we need to finish this lesson before it's time for bed." John finished teaching his granddaughter about the supernatural. He noticed little Mary would get scared, most of the time. John really did hate having to do this. He hated it with his boys and he hated it with his granddaughter.

When John showed her a picture of a Wendigo, little Mary got scared and climbed up, onto the pullout bed, hiding her face in one of the pillows. John ran his hand down his face, and then stood up to walk over to her, sitting next to her.

"It's okay, sweetheart, it was just a picture this time," he assured her, touching her upper back.

"Your drawing of it wasn't that scary," she cried from the pillow, looking out the corner of her eye at him.

"That's because I'm not that great at drawing."

She sniffled. "When's Daddy and Uncle Dean coming home?"

"I don't know, they went to check out something a few hours away," John answered.

"They're coming home today, right?"

John just shrugged.

"Daddy has to be here, he's never been gone more than one day. What if I have a nightmare?" Little Mary's soft cries were starting to turn into wails.

John tried his best to comfort her, but he never really dealt with girls before. He only raised two boys, so he didn't know what to do. "I will be here, and so will your grandmother…"

Little Mary hid her face in the pillow as she cried "I need Daddy."

"MJ, you're not always gonna have your dad," he told her. "What about when you're old enough to move out? You don't think your dad will come over just because you have a bad dream, do you?"

She nodded into the pillow.

"You need to stop depending on your dad so much, MJ," he told her. "You're growing up and part of growing up is learning to let go of our parents."

"No, Daddy said he will always be there for me."

"He shouldn't have told you that. Anything can happen, especially in this war we're going to be fighting in. There's a chance one of us could…" John's voice trailed off. He didn't want to tell his six-year-old granddaughter there's a possibly of death involved.

Little Mary looked back at him. "Do you mean Daddy or Uncle Dean could die?"

John did not answer. He looked away and almost jumped out his skin when he heard her scream for Castiel. The guy had fought ghosts, shapeshifters, demons, and everything else, and he still jumped at the yelp of a six-year-old.

Castiel appeared, standing beside the bed. When one of the kids called for him, Castiel always showed up for them. It was rare when they did since Sam was usually there. There would be an occasion, now and then. "What's wrong?" he asked little Mary.

She slid off the pullout bed and wrapped her arms around the angel's legs. "Grandpa said Daddy and Uncle Dean might die." Little Mary buried her face in his trench coat Castiel still wore. It gets washed every once in a while, at least.

Castiel looked at John. "What are you telling her?" he demanded.

"Life," John replied. "It's a rough and tough concept, but it's the truth."

"I may be still learning about children but even I know you have to be careful about what you tell them."

"You think I enjoyed telling my granddaughter that?" John demanded this time.

"I don't know," said Castiel. "I don't think it was necessary to her training to tell Mary her father and uncle might die. I've seen the both of them bounce back from hell and take on Lucifer, himself. I've seen Dean come out of Purgatory and still willing to fight for the great of good. If Sam and Dean does die, there is a very low chance."

"Obviously, this thing's tougher if it takes all the best hunters to bring it down," John pointed out.

Castiel stared at the man, hard. "Yes, I agree with you there, but I am certain it will be either Sam or Dean who delivers the final blow."

John eased off a little. "What exactly have my boys been through since I…left?"

Castiel then explained everything. How Dean had made a deal to save Sam, and about Dean's time in hell and how it was him who "gripped him, tightly" from hell. Castiel explained to him about Sam and Dean being vessels to Michael and Lucifer. John was surprised to hear that his son, Adam had become a part of it when John tried so hard to keep Adam away from what his other two sons were already in.

Then it hit him. John had tried to keep Adam away from the supernatural just like Sam was trying to do with his kids. He gave Sam such a hard time he had forgotten he had done the same.

Castiel had continued, telling about Sam and Adam being locked in Lucifer's cage with Lucifer and Michael and about Sam missing his soul and Dean trying to get it back, about the wall Death had put up, and about himself trying to become God, and setting the Leviathans free from Purgatory, and everything after that.

John's mouth hung open. "My boys went through all that?"

Castiel nodded. "And they never backed down, not once. Dean almost quit hunting for a girl and her son, then Sam came back into his life and Dean realized they weren't safe knowing him so he had me erase their memories of him."

John sat there, trying to wrap his head around everything the angel was telling him. "I figured after Dean killed that demon, Sam would go back to school and Dean would settle down, himself."

"Daddy did go to school, he's a lawyer. He tries to help people not go to jail."

John had almost forgotten his granddaughter was still there. If it wasn't for the fact, little Mary was holding onto his legs, Castiel may have forgotten, too.

She looked up at Castiel. "Can you take me to see Daddy, Uncle Cassie?" using her famous puppy-dog look.

"I wish I could, but your father is busy discussing about these demons that are loose. He will be home tomorrow," he told her.

Little Mary's eyes watered again and she ran from the room. They heard her bedroom door slam shut.

John let a long breath. "It's gonna be a long night."


	11. Chapter 11

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 11

Little Mary sat, curled up with her back to the corner of the wall, on her bed. Her stuffed Snivy was wrapped inside her arm as she played her Nintendo DS Pokémon game. It was getting close to bedtime and little Mary had been in there since she ran away from Castiel and John. She didn't even come out to eat dinner when her grandmother offered.

Jonathan opened the door, carrying a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a blue, clear, see-through glass plate and a clear, glass of milk. He pushed the door open the rest of the way, with his right shoulder. "Hey, I brought you a sandwich," he told his sister. Jonathan set the sandwich and milk on little Mary's nightstand.

"Is Daddy home?" she asked, looking up.

Jonathan shook his head.

She returned to her game. "Then I'm not hungry."

"It's there when you're ready," he said.

Little Mary didn't respond after that. She just continued playing as music and sounds was heard from the handheld toy.

Jonathan sat down on the edge of his sister's bed, already dressed in his green, plaid pajama pants and no shirt. "Dad will be back," he finally said after a few moments. "Maybe not tonight, but he will soon. Dad would never leave us."

Little Mary looked up again, after turning off her game and closing the handheld. "But what if I need him tonight?" she asked, worried.

"You have me here," he shrugged. "Just don't try to climb into my bed or anything. That's kind of awkward."

"Uncle Dean doesn't think so," she pointed out. At night, when Dean was home, little Mary was allowed his room.

Jonathan laughed. "Okay, fine, you can crawl into my bed. But it better be because of a really bad nightmare and you better not tell anyone I let you," he said, serious.

Little Mary laughed, too.

"It's almost time for bed, so you should get into your pajamas. Grandma said she would be up in ten minutes to say good-night."

Little Mary nodded.

Jonathan stood up, heading for the door.

"Jon."

He turned back around. "Yeah, Mare?"

"Do you think that's really Grandma and Grandpa?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't they be?" he shrugged.

"Daddy said they died, remember. So, why are they here, now?"

Again, Jonathan just shrugged. "Maybe it was easier for Dad to say they were dead, instead of admitting they were out of reach. Anyway, I'm tired so good night."

"Good night, Jon." Mary sat there for a couple minutes thinking. The whole principle of death confused her now that she had heard Castiel's story he told John. She understood more than they thought she did, but at the same time, it didn't make any sense.

She scooted to the edge and took a couple bites of the sandwich her brother made for her and took a long drink of milk before she stood up and started to undress. Once she was standing there in her underwear, she went over to her dresser and opened the middle drawer, taking out a pair of dark blue pajama pants and put each leg in, pulling them up. Then little Mary took out her matching, long sleeved Pokémon pajama shirt, poking her head through and each arm through the sleeves, pulling it down.

When she was dressed in her pajamas, little Mary climbed back into bed, getting under her comforter. She turned over, onto her back and held Snivy on her stomach.

"What are we gonna do, Snivy?" she asked the stuffed animal. "Daddy and Uncle Dean won't be here tonight and I'm scared. Jon's here, but it's not the same. He's a kid like me. Jon may be a big kid, but he's still a kid. Jon can scare other kids and all, but there's no way he can take something like a ghost or monster." Little Mary hugged her stuffed animal to her. "I wish they were here, or at least Daddy. What if something happens, Snivy?"

At that moment, her door was pushed open again. Jonathan had not closed it all the way when he left. Mary Sr. walked in, who had been listening to her granddaughter talk to her stuffed animal.

She sat on the edge of the bed, beside her granddaughter. "It will be okay, sweetheart," Mary Sr. assured her. "Your grandfather and myself will be right down the hall if you need anything."

Little Mary looked at her grandmother. "I need my daddy."

Mary Sr. reached over and caressed the side of her face. "Your father will be back tomorrow."

"But Daddy never slept away from us before."

"I understand that, sweetheart but it can't be helped."

The phones in Sam's office and downstairs in the kitchen rang a few times before they stopped. John had answered the one downstairs.

Mary Sr. brushed some hair from the little girl's forehead. She started singing a Beatles song she used to sing to Dean when he was little.

Little Mary stopped her. "Thanks, but I have my own music." She then turned onto her right side to reach up and turn on her small radio/CD player, pressing play on the front. Soon, Eamonn McCrystal was singing as little Mary lied there, on her side, staring at the floor.

Mary Sr. didn't take any offense to it. Little Mary had a set routine she was used to. Mary Sr. couldn't see any of her boys singing to the kids to calm them down or help them sleep. So, Mary Sr. just started rubbing her back, without any kind of protest.

John came in ten minutes later, with the phone from downstairs after he had come from Jonathan's room first. "It's Sam, for MJ," he told his wife.

Little Mary bolted up, onto her legs and John handed her the phone. "Daddy?" she said into it.

"Hey Mary, how was the rest of your day?" Sam's voice asked from the other end.

Mary Sr. turned the music down as little Mary talked on the phone.

"Grandpa taught me about monsters and how to kill them," little Mary told her father. "Tomorrow, he's taking me hunting like on Uncle Dean's game."

"Oh, did you understand everything, because I'm gonna go over it with you, too when I get home," replied Sam.

"Yeah, Grandpa let me ask questions."

Mary Sr. looked up at John, who looked back at her.

"Daddy, why can't you come home tonight?" little Mary finally asked.

"It's already late and we're several miles away, sweetheart but I promise to be home, tomorrow. Okay?" Sam assured his daughter.

Little Mary started tearing up. "But what if I have a nightmare or what if I get scared and you're not there to protect me?"

"You're going to have to be a big girl for me, tonight, Mary. This is hard for me, too but we have to be strong."

"But…"

"No buts, Mary. I mean it, you can do it," Sam told her. "Jon is there, and Grandma and Grandpa are there. You will be just fine." Even though he was telling this to his daughter, Sam was mostly trying to convince himself. It hurt, dearly having to sleep in a cramped motel room, dozens of miles away from his kids. The last time they were separated, little Mary was three when their mother had kidnapped them.

"What about Snivy, he misses you, too," little Mary continued to protest.

Sam sighed. This was really tugging at his heartstrings, so much, it hurt. "Snivy is gonna have to be strong, too. You're a big girl, Mary and I know you can do this."

The waterworks was shut on now. "No, I can't. I can't do it, Daddy. I need you. Can't you have Uncle Cassie zap you home?"

There was a pause, and then Dean spoke. It was apparent Sam had his phone on speakerphone. "Uncle Cas told us what happened today," he said. "Look, I know this isn't fair to you, Tiger but you need to be strong for us. You said it, yourself, you want to be just like me. Well here's your chance. Do you think I go running to someone's bedroom when I have a nightmare?"

She sniffed, "No."

"Exactly, nightmares happen and there's nothing we can do about it. If it makes you feel better, I get them a lot, too. I don't let them bother me, though. I wake up, take a deep breath, and try to get back to sleep. That's all you can do."

"But, they're really scary and real, Uncle Dean."

"Trust me, nothing is getting inside our house. You understand why we keep salt in the windows and doors, now, right?"

"Yeah, Grandpa told me that, too."

"And there's other spells, too. Nothing can get you or Jon, understand."

Little Mary sniffled again, "Yes."

"And don't worry about your dad and I, we're tough suckers." Dean added.

"Can we still play, and hug, and give kisses?" she asked.

"Of course, you're still a kid and we still love you," he said. "Nothing will ever change that, but there will be times like tonight, where we have to be strong, like I said."

Little Mary fell silent for a moment.

Finally, Sam spoke again. "Mary, I am really sorry you have to deal with this, with us. You know I never wanted this for you. You're always gonna be my sweet, little girl, no matter what. I love you, sweetheart."

"I love you, too, Daddy," she replied.

"Same here," Dean added. "You're still my little tiger, and you always will be. I love you, Tiger."

"I love you, too, Uncle Dean."

Castiel spoke up. "I'm sorry about earlier, Mary."

Little Mary wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I love you, Uncle Cassie," she told him.

There was a pause before Castiel responded back. The brothers, including Castiel took turns saying, good-night to little Mary. Even Bobby said it to her and little Mary responded to each of them before she passed the phone back to John, who took it out, into the hall.

Little Mary sat back, onto her bottom and hugged Snivy to her.

Mary Sr. watched her granddaughter. She and John could hear the whole conversation. "It will be all right, Mary," she assured her, too and leaned forward to kiss little Mary on the forehead before she stood up. "Good night."

Little Mary looked up. "Good night, Grandma."

Mary Sr. smiled at her and walked from the room, stopping in the doorway to lean against the frame. She watched as her granddaughter lay back down and started her CD over again. Mary Sr. left the room, going back downstairs.

After a moment, John came back into their granddaughter's bedroom to say, good-night, too. He kneeled beside the bed, touching her upper back, gently. "I know it's hard, MJ but you'll get through it, and we'll be right down the hall."

Little Mary nodded at her grandfather and to his surprise, reached over and hugged him around the neck. John hugged her back, kissing the side of her head.

That was three hours ago. Now, little Mary sat up in the dark, squeezing her Pokémon doll. The room was pitch-black as she looked around. Her radio was on Repeat All so it kept replaying the whole CD, over and over again.

She kept checking under her bed, every five minutes to make sure nothing was under there. Her little heart pounded fast in her chest as tears filled her eyes, now and then. Little Mary did try, very hard to be brave like her uncle but she was still six after all. She lied down on her side, lying in a fetal position, with the comforter off.

Tears drifted down, over the bridge of her nose and the corner of her other eye, landing on Snivy. She hid her face in its head as the last song on the CD came on. Little Mary silently, sang along. "When I am down and oh my soul so wearily," she sang. "When troubles come and my heart burden be. Then I am still and wait here in the silence, until you come and stay a while with me. You raise me up so I can stand on mountains. You raise me up to walk on stormy seas. I am strong when I am on your shoulders. You raise me up to more than I can be."

As little Mary sang along to the music, she thought of her father and uncle smiling back at her. By the time the song finished, she had finally fallen asleep. Another two hours, though, little Mary woke up, crying from a dream.

The dream was the same thing she had, the past couple of weeks. Someone or something was talking to her, telling her time was drawing near. It wasn't a voice she recognized either. It was a deep voice, the kind that would make Superman wet himself.

"Soon, Mary," it would say. "You can't hide from me. I need you." All she could see was a shadow and fire surrounding it and nothing else. It had horns and skeleton-like wings growing out of its back. Little Mary couldn't tell if it had long fingers or long claws but she always woke in pure fright, shaking all over.

Little Mary shot up, crying. She tried to do what her uncle told her to do, but in the end, little Mary gave in and got out of bed, turning off her radio. Grabbing Snivy, she left her bedroom and ran to her father's office and climbed onto the pullout bed, crawling in between her grandparents. Little Mary sat back on her legs and shook John awake. "Grandpa," she whimpered over and over again, trying to wake him.

John lifted his head from his pillow to look back at his granddaughter. "MJ, what are you doing up?" he asked, turning over to sit up. When he did, little Mary leaped into his arms and John could feel her shaking with fright, more than a child should be shaking from a nightmare. "MJ, what's wrong? You're shaking more than a rattlesnake's rattle."

"I'm sorry, Grandpa," she cried against his chest.

"Sorry for what?"

"I tried to be brave like Uncle Dean but then I had a nightmare and…" Little Mary cried, moving her head where her forehead was against his chest now.

John tried to quiet his granddaughter down before his wife woke up. "Shh, it was just a bad dream. You're safe now."

"Please don't let it get me." She had a handful of John's white T-shirt as John held her in his lap.

"Can you tell me about the dream?" he asked, curious. It had to have been an abnormal kind of dream if she was shaking this much.

"I have it all the time now," she sniffled. "There's fire and I can't see who's talking, only a shadow, but I can hear him and he wants to get me."

John had a suspicion he knew what it was. "Does it look like that demon that showed up here, the other day?"

She nodded, slowly and John could feel it on his chest. "Please, can I sleep with you, Grandpa?"

"No, you need to go back to your own bed," he told her, sternly.

"But I'm scared."

John held her head against him. "I know you are, MJ. I'll tell you what, I will compromise with you."

Little Mary sniffed. "What does compromise mean?"

"I'll make you a deal," he said. "I will sit with you in your room until you fall asleep, but then I'm going back to my bed. Deal?"

Little Mary thought it over, and hesitantly agreed. John carried his granddaughter back to her room and sat on her bed, setting her beside him. She reached over and turned her music back on, pushing the Repeat All button.

"Who is this?" John asked, after a few seconds of listening to the music.

"His name is Eamonn."

John was surprised. "That's a guy?"

She nodded up at her grandfather.

"Wow, that's a really soft voice, no wonder you like him." In fact, not only did little Mary fall asleep, John fell asleep just listening to the music. She woke up, five minutes later to him, snoring and of course did not try and wake him. Instead, little Mary snuggled against her grandfather and fell back to sleep. She did not wake up until around five in the morning when she had another nightmare. Since he figured they should get an early start, anyway, John did not make her go back to sleep. Letting Mary Sr. and Jonathan sleep, he and little Mary got dressed and had a quick breakfast before heading out.


	12. Chapter 12

**This past week had been another busy one, with school and other personal stuff. Chapter 12 is finally written! This was the chapter I was looking forward to writing.**

**A Winchester Story **

Chapter 12

John and little Mary were kneeled behind some bushes. It was getting close to late morning and little Mary had already shot a couple of rabbits and some quail. John was very impressed how good of a hunter his granddaughter was, considering this was her first time, and doubled by her age, as well. But, little Mary was a natural.

At first, she was afraid about holding onto a real gun, but John stayed patient with his granddaughter and taught her all the rules and regulations. The first time, little Mary shot it she was spooked by the loud noise and got knocked back. After that, she was content with it. John didn't collect any of the rabbits or quail. He figured some other animal would come along, hungry and would eat it.

As they kneeled there, in the dirt, John figured it was good enough as any to call it a day and head home. That is, until they heard a twig break, several feet away. John put his finger to his mouth and motioned for Mary to stay quiet as they watched whatever it was, that made the noise. They did not have to wait that long, either. A large, male deer with medium sized antlers appeared from behind some trees. It stopped to nibble on some grass.

Mary looked up at her grandfather to whisper, very quietly, "Can I try?"

"Sure, but be extra quiet and careful." John did not expect his granddaughter to hit the deer. There was no way a six-year-old was that good of a hunter.

The little girl brought the rifle she was holding, up beside her chin and aimed right for the deer. She wasn't really sure where to shoot, so she just aimed where she thought was a decent shot. Little Mary cocked it back and when the time was right to her, she pulled the trigger.

The deer dropped to the ground as if it was full of lead.

John's mouth hung open in utter surprise. He could not believe his young granddaughter actually shot her first deer.

Mary lowered her rifle. "Did I get him?"

John rose, slowly to his feet, with his eyes fixated on the dead carcass of the deer and cautiously walked over to get a closer look. Mary followed, closely behind her grandfather. He nudged the deer's back with his foot and saw that it didn't move. John squatted down, beside it to check it over, as he tried to find where the bullet had gone in. Where it was, he never would have expected it. He stared up at his granddaughter, shock still apparent on his face.

"What?" she shrugged, confused why her grandfather looked that way.

"Where were you aiming?"

Mary shrugged, "At the deer."

"I know that, but was there a specific spot of the deer you were aiming at?"

She shook her head. "Why?"

John dropped his left knee, moving closer so he could lift the head and show her where he found the bullet. Right smack, between the eyes was a bullet-sized wound. Blood was spilling out. "Not even your uncle is that good of a shot."

"Really?" she asked. "So, did I do good?"

John could help but smile, dropping his head before looking back up at his granddaughter. "Very good, I'm proud of you."

That put a smile on the kid's face, too.

John picked up his rifle he set in the dirt, beside him and handed it to Mary. "Here, carry my rifle for me."

She took it. Mary then watched as her grandfather tied a rope around the antlers and the two of them headed back to where John parked his truck, dragging the deer behind him. John lowered the back end and took the rifles from Mary, placing them in the tack box.

He turned to Mary, "You think you can help me lift the deer into the bed?"

She looked up at him, and shrugged. "I don't know."

He laughed, "I'll take most of the weight for ya, just make sure to grab his legs. Okay?"

Mary nodded.

John squatted down and reached underneath the carcass, lifting it with some difficulty. "Wow, I am defiantly not young anymore," he thought out loud.

"How come we're bringing it with us?" Mary asked. "We left the rabbits and quail."

"A deer is something you never leave behind, especially not a good kill like this. Ever eaten one before?"

Mary held onto the legs, holding them as John lifted the carcass and slid it into the truck bed. "Nope," she replied.

"Well, after tonight, you won't be able to say that, anymore."

Mary looked surprised. "You can eat deer? I never seen it at the store."

"That's because grocery stores don't sell them, you have to go out and hunt for it. Pretty good, especially how I fix it." John pushed the carcass back as far as it could go and covered it up with a dark green tarp, before he lifted the back end, brushing his hands together. "Come on, your dad and uncle should be there by the time we get home."

Mary was excited to hear her father and uncle would be home. "Yay!" She and John walked over to the driver's side and John opened the truck door, letting Mary climb in first before he got in, shutting it. Taking out his keys, John started the engine as Mary fastened her seatbelt. "Can we get something to eat, Grandpa? I'm starving." She was defiantly related to Dean.

"I saw a truck stop on the way here, we'll get some lunch there," he replied. John drove for a few miles before reaching the truck stop. They used the restroom first, making sure to wash their hands real good before finding a booth to sit at.

As they looked at their menus, a waitress with short, blond, curly hair and faded red lipstick walked up, holding a small pad of paper and a ballpoint pen. "Can I start you two off with something to drink?" she asked.

"Can I have orange juice?" Mary asked the waitress.

She smiled at the little girl. "You bet, sugar." The waitress looked at John next. "And for you?"

"Can I get a beer, please?" he replied.

Of course, do you need more time or are you ready to order?" she asked, politely.

"More time, thanks," John told her.

"Okay," she said. "I will be right back with your OJ and beer." The waitress walked away, heading for the kitchen.

Mary leaned against the edge of the table, looking at her menu. "Grandpa, do they have grilled cheese?" she asked, scanning it with her eyes.

"I don't know. If you can't find it, then they don't," he replied, looking at his menu.

She continued to scan through the menu when someone caught her peripheral view. A young, thin guy with short, black hair was sitting over at a table. His leg was crossed over the other, and his left arm was slung over the back of his seat as he watched Mary.

Mary lowered herself and moved to John's side, underneath the table.

John looked over at her. "What's wrong?"

"That guy was staring at me," she replied, sitting between him and the window now.

He asked, "Who?"

She pointed at where the guy was sitting, but he was gone. "I swear, someone was there, watching me."

John was looking around the truck stop, cautiously. "I don't doubt you, MJ."

When the waitress returned with their drinks, Mary ordered a cheeseburger and fries since they didn't have grilled cheese and John ordered the same. Once they received their food and ate what they could, John and Mary left the truck stop. On the way out, a newspaper caught John's eye. He stopped to pick it up and read the front page.

"Over the last few years, dozens of young woman have been found dead after living in the same house for two months," John read. "Police found no evidence of a break-in. All they could do was arrest the husbands, who say they are innocent, that their wives claimed they kept hearing strange noises." He looked down at Mary. To him, it sounded like a simple salt-and-burn job, the perfect first hunt for his young granddaughter. John knew he had to get the deer home and get it in the fridge, at least. But, Sam and Dean could be home by then and possibly refuse to let him take Mary on a hunt, even if it was just a salt-and-burn.

Once they were on the road again, John brought it up, wanting to get Mary's say before her father and uncle's. "How would you like to go on your first supernatural hunting job?"

Mary had been staring out the window at the passing fields of cattle. She looked at her grandfather when he asked that, unsure.

"It sounds like all we need to do is dig up a grave, and salt and burn a corpse."

"So, it's a ghost?" she asked, naturally afraid.

"Yes, but I will be right there with you, and after seeing you, this morning, shooting animals, I want to test you with the supernatural, as well. You are defiantly not an ordinary kid, something's up and I want to find out what it is."

Mary hesitated, but finally said yes.

"You sure? You can say no, I won't get mad if you do," he told her.

She nodded, "I don't want to be scared anymore. I want to be brave just like Uncle Dean. Like Eamonn sings, this is the moment."

John nodded. "We have to drop off the deer at home, first and I need some time to chop it up, then we will leave again and I'll show you the ropes of a hunter's job."

Mary nodded back to show she understood before looking out her window again. She thought about Scooby Doo and the monsters he caught. It was always someone wearing a mask and using special effects. Mary would be facing the real deal and it scared her, inside. She wanted to show her uncle and father that she could be a big girl and act brave. If this was the way to prove to them then so be it, she would.

John pulled onto his sons' property, parking beside the Impala. "Just as I thought, your dad and uncle are home," he said as he took out his key from the ignition.

A huge smile appeared on Mary's face. She undid her seatbelt and scooted over to climb out of the truck, once John was out, before she ran towards the house. Sam had pulled open the front door and met his daughter out on the edge of the porch as she came running towards him. He scooped her up, into his arms and gave her a big hug.

"I missed you so much, Daddy!" she told him from his right shoulder.

"I missed you, too," he replied, hugging her head to him as Mary squeezed his neck.

Mary lifted her head to look at her father. "Daddy, you have to see the deer I shot."

Sam raised his eyebrows upon hearing that. "You shot a deer, and you're happy about it? What about Bambi?"

"That's just a movie, Daddy," she laughed. "Come see."

Sam put his daughter down as Dean came out, walking up behind where his brother stood.

Mary switched over to her uncle when she saw him and was lifted up again. She squeezed his neck, too.

"Hey Tiger, I see you made it through the night in one piece," Dean joked with his niece.

She lifted her head. "Grandpa helped me, and he's taking me on my first supernatural hunting job, too."

Sam's eyes widen when he heard his daughter say his father was taking her on a hunting job. He looked over at John, who was walking up, at that point, his hands in his jacket pockets. Both Sam and Dean glared at their father.

"I agreed to the training, in case she needed to protect herself, but I absolutely will not let Mary go on a real hunting job, Dad," Sam told his father.

John just looked at his youngest son. He took the newspaper from inside his jacket and handed it to him.

Sam took it. "What's this?" he asked, unfolding the paper twice. He noticed the article on the front page, skimming it.

"It sounds to me, like a simple salt-and-burn, a perfect job for Mary's first," John explained again.

"Dad, how many times do I need to remind you of her age?"

"It doesn't matter, Sam," he said. "You should have seen Mary, this morning, just shooting at animals. The kid's a natural. She shot a deer, square between the eyes. How many kids do you know who can do that?"

Sam and Dean exchanged looks with each other, before looking at Mary.

It was Dean to speak, next. "The answer is still no."

"You said I had to be brave like you," Mary told her uncle. "I already told Grandpa I would do it."

"No, you are not going on a job, Mary Joanne," he told her, sternly.

Mary slid down, from her uncle's hold. "Yes I am!" she shot back, surprising the men, especially her uncle and father. "I don't want to be scared anymore and if I have to kill a ghost to do it, then I will."

Sam popped her, on her backside, once. Mary jumped, turning to look at her father, rubbing it. "You know you're not supposed to talk back to your uncle that way, Mary Joanne," he scolded her.

Mary looked between her father and uncle. "You said I had to be a big girl. I'm trying, Daddy."

John spoke up for his granddaughter. "She's right, Sam. I'm not saying MJ should drop out of school and become a full-time hunter. All I want to do is take her to find out about these murders and possibly teach her how to torch a corpse. It's not like it's a werewolf or shapeshifter. That would be way too dangerous for her."

"Fine, but I'm going with you," Dean finally agreed.

Sam looked over at his brother. "Are you nuts?"

"Dad and Mary are right, Sam. We have to let her do this."

Sam shook his head. "No. There is no way, I am letting my daughter do a job, I don't care what it is. It's bad enough with the training, but a real hunting job? No way!"

"I don't like this, any more than you do, Sam, but we have to keep our word," Dean said. "We told Mary she has to be brave and there will possibly be times where she has to do what we do."

"And I said no, Dean." Sam was standing his ground, this time. He already said, yes to hunting one last time, his daughter's training, doing things he thought he gave up. He just couldn't say, yes now.

"Dean," John sighed, "there's no getting through to your brother. Can you just give me a hand with MJ's deer so we can leave?"

Dean eyed his brother, before turning to look at his father. "Sure, Dad."

"Come on, Uncle Dean," Mary took a hold of her uncle's hand. "I'll show you." Dean let his niece lead him over to John's truck. Sam just stood there, watching them walk away. Watching his daughter as it seemed like she was finally going to not need him anymore, bringing a tear to his eye.

John lowered the back end and removed the tarp he had placed over the deer. Dean's mouth dropped at the size of the deer. He walked over to the side of the truck to get a good look at where Mary shot it.

"No way, Mary shot this?" Dean asked.

John nodded. "I was pretty surprised, myself. She also shot some rabbits and quail. It only took a short time before she wasn't afraid to shoot."

"Mary, I thought you were just a good video game player, but seeing this," he gestured at the deer carcass with his head.

Mary smiled.

Dean ran his fingers through his niece's brown hair and kissed the top of it. "I am very proud of you," he smiled down at her.

At that, Mary threw her arms around him. Dean usually told Jonathan he was proud of him, after a game. There was never an occasion for Dean to tell it to his niece until now.

Both men carried the deer carcass into the garage and started skinning and cutting it up as Mary watched, a way's away. Once it was cut up and wrapped in aluminum foil, they placed it in the freezer they kept in there. John figured, with starting another job, there was no telling when he would be able to cook it.


	13. Chapter 13

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 13

Dean was driving down the highway, in the Impala. One hand gripped the top of the steering wheel. John was telling him what he had found out, researching the day before. "How come it was never mentioned in any biblical text?" he questioned his father.

"Because it was written as a folk tale, no one believes it really happened," John explained.

"So, Lucifer fails and some other angel is stupid enough to try?"

After Castiel and Gabriel's sister told them about Pyro and his followers, John looked further into it, researching what he could find. "Yes. The tale read, after Lucifer fell from heaven and became ruler of hell, another angel became corrupt, as well. Only he tried it a different way."

"Like how?"

"Killing God," John replied.

Dean stared at him like his father was a weird-looking alien or something.

"No one can kill God, Grandpa," little Mary spoke up from the back seat.

"I know, sweetheart but this creature thought he could," John told her before returning his attention back to Dean. "When God realized what Pyro was up to, He banished him to a place worse than hell. A dimension so dark and sinister, it's painful. It's utter torture, nothing compared to hell."

"I never thought there would be anything worse than what I had to go through," Dean said, staring ahead. "In fact, I still have nightmares about it."

John looked downward. "I'm so sorry, Dean," he said, looking back up. "I been in hell, too. I know what it's like down there…"

Dean stayed silent. Finally, he spoke. "Dad, can you continue with the story?"

John nodded. He understood his son not wanting to talk about it, especially with his niece in the car, listening. "Anyway, when Pyro who was named because they couldn't say his real name, was placed in his cage, a power was created on the night a child was born. The child was not strong enough to have it. On the night of his second birthday, he died and the power inside of him was released, looking for another child who was born on that day. Only a thousand years, a child strong enough to wield this power could stay alive past its second birthday."

"So, what you're saying is, Mary here, is strong enough to hold this power?" Dean questioned.

John nodded again. "That was one of the reasons why I wanted to train her."

"But why Mary?" Dean looked up in the rear-view mirror at his niece, "I love you, Tiger, but…" He turned back to his father. "She's weak."

This time, John shook his head. "No, I believe MJ can do so much more. I'm not blaming your brother, he's just doing what he thinks is best for his kids, but I believe MJ can be so much more and this morning's hunting trip proves it. I just want to see her on a hunt, see MJ in action."

"She's never done this, Dad, remember?"

"I know, and that's why it's just a simple salt-and-burn."

"Grandpa, Uncle Dean, can I ask a question?" Mary asked.

The men looked back. "What is it, Tiger?" Dean asked.

"How doe salt keep away ghosts?"

Dean answered first. "It's a purifier, mostly. You see, ghosts, they don't like the stuff. When you shoot one with a salt cartridge, the ghost will disappear for a short amount of time."

"It won't kill them?"

"Well, the ghost is technically already dead, but no, it won't destroy it. Unless you use it right before you torch its bones."

"So, we're gonna dig up a dead body?"

"You bet," Dean grinned up at her through the mirror.

"Is that legal?" she asked, suspicious.

John looked at his granddaughter. "What do you know about something being legal?"

"It's amazing what this kid finds on TV," Dean explained. "In fact, I kind of figured it would be Mary who reads your journal, because she is the most curious kid you would ever meet. You say one thing, and suddenly you're being interviewed. This kid knows about a lot of things."

"Sammy was like that, too, Dean," John reminded him. "He was always asking questions and his nose was always in a book."

"Right, I forgot about that," Dean shrugged. "I said it once and I'll say it again, Mary is just like her dad."

An hour came and went before Dean pulled into the parking lot of a local jail. He parked and the family got out. Dean kneeled in front of his niece to fix her tie.

"Why do we have to wear suits?" Mary whined.

"Because we have to look professional or they won't let us in," he said, fixing her collar. "Now, remember what I told you, you have a dwarfism that makes it look like you're a kid, but you're really twenty-eight. Okay?"

Mary nodded. "But only talk unless it's absolutely necessary," she recited what her uncle had told her.

"And when I introduce us, you take out the badge to show who you are. Okay?"

She nodded again.

"You can't grab my hand or hug me while we're in there. We have to pretend we're partners, working on a case. Ready?"

Mary nodded for a third time.

Dean kissed her forehead before he stood up. He and Mary stepped up, onto the sidewalk where John was standing.

John started walking, too. "Where'd get the idea for the dwarfism?"

He shrugged. "It was in some kind of movie I saw once."

The Winchesters walked inside, going up to the chief's desk.

"Good afternoon, sir," Dean greeted, professionally, reaching inside his suit jacket. "I'm Agent Rodgers." He showed him a fake badge that said, FBI above it. Dean put it away as he introduced John and Mary. "These are my partners, Agent Ford," nodding towards John, "and Agent Conners," nodding at his niece.

John and Mary took out their badges to show the chief. Mary ended up, pulling a Castiel.

Dean sighed to himself. _Just like her other uncle._ He grabbed it from her hand and turned it right side up, placing it back and looked at the chief. "She's new," he explained.

"Ain't she a little young to be working for FBI?" the chief questioned.

"Uh no, not at all," he replied. "Agent Conners suffers from a type of dwarfism that makes her look like a kid, she's really twenty-eight."

The chief shook his head, trying to clear it. He changed the subject. "So, what can I do for you?"

John answered this time. "We were hoping to speak to a Mister Frank Garibaldi."

"I didn't know the FBI was on this case," he said, looking between the men.

Dean smiled. "We just want to check in, ask a few questions. It shouldn't take long."

The chief stood up, grabbing his keys. "Right this way then." He led them from the office, through a door, and down a long hallway of jail cells, filled with men waiting to go to trial.

Mary looked at the men as she walked beside her uncle. Some looked back and scowled at her. She wanted to grab her uncle's hand so badly but knew she had to restrain herself if they wanted to get through this.

Eventually, they came to a cell with a middle-aged man, around Dean's age, lying on a bed, with his hands folded behind his pillow.

"Mister Garibaldi, some folks hear wants to have a word with you," the chief told the man, who sat up, putting his feet on the cold, hard ground to look at who it was. The chief left the four of them to talk.

"Hello, Mister Gari…" Dean started but was cut off.

"Please, call me, Frank," he said.

"Frank. We were hoping you could answer a few questions," Dean finished.

"I swear, I did not kill my wife!"

"Hold on there, buddy, none of us said you did."

"Did your wife have any enemies, Frank?" John asked.

Frank shook his head. "No, everyone loved her," he said. "She volunteered at our church whenever possible, she was always passing out treats to the kids…I mean, she loved kids, we wanted some of our own but I couldn't give her any." Frank motioned for them to come closer before he whispered, "I have a narrow urethra."

Dean stood up, looking off to the side, annoyed of what he just heard.

John cleared his throat, uncomfortably while Mary looked very confused. "Thank you for that bit of info…mation," he said. "Anyway, so there isn't anyone who would want to harm her in any way?"

Again, Frank shook his head. "Look, you have to believe me, I loved my wife and would never, ever want to kill her."

"We were told, she was hearing strange noises up until her death," said Dean. "Can you tell us about that?"

"Well, Janet said it started at night while we were sleeping. She said it sounded like someone was pounding on the walls and hollering at someone else. I told her, she was just imagining things. All the volunteering she does, I was surprised she didn't go crazy from stress. That girl hardly took time for herself."

"She sounds like a very nice lady," Mary told him.

Frank smiled, "She was."

"How did you find her," John paused for a second, "when she was killed?"

"I came home, one afternoon, early from work. I planned to surprise her with flowers and take her out to her favorite place, just because. I called for her, but she didn't answer. I looked all over the house until I found her in our room, sprawled out on our bed in a pool of blood. Only, her head wasn't attached to her shoulders." At that, Frank burst into tears. "Only thing that could have done something like that was an ax and we don't even own one. During the winter, I buy firewood from the store, to use in our fireplace. Janet, my sweet Janet. I should have listened to her! What if someone was stalking out in our house, waiting until I wasn't home?"

"Hey, buddy," Dean told him. "I can assure you that it wasn't your fault and we're gonna gank that sonofabitch who killed your wife."

"It won't bring her back, though."

"It'll help."

Dean, John, and Mary rented a motel room so Dean could do some research on his laptop. John was lying on one of the beds, researching in books as Dean sat at a small, round table. Mary sat on her legs, on the chair beside him, watching. They had visited Frank's house to find any clues they could. Dean's EMF meter picked up traces that it could, in fact be a ghost or poltergeist like John thought.

Dean was scrolling down list of web sites on Google when his cell phone vibrated from inside his jeans pocket. He reached in and pulled it out, looking at the front of it and saw his brother's name. "It's your dad," he told Mary, flipping it open and pressed talk. "Hey."

"Where the hell are you, Dean?" Sam asked with annoyance apparent in his voice. "It's getting late."

"We checked into a motel to work on some research," he answered. "Probably gonna spend the night, too. A woman was murdered, head chopped completely off. Police are blaming the husband, of course but the EMF picked up traces of a ghost at their house."

"Found anything yet?" Sam couldn't help ask about the hunting job. It must have felt great for Dean to be hunting with their father again. Shoot, Sam would have enjoyed hunting the shtriga if it wasn't for the fact that all they did was interrogate Mary's substitute teacher.

Dean sat back in the chair. "Not yet. We can't find anything on the house or the family."

Mary, who was reading where Dean had stopped scrolling, suddenly said, "Wait, Uncle Dean, what about that one?"

"What?" Dean asked her, leaning forward again.

She pointed at a link that read, Wife died, husband went mad. Dean clicked on it and was directed to an old news article with a faded, black and white photo of Frank Garibaldi's house.

Dean started reading, and quickly got his father's attention. John sat up, listening as Dean read out loud, his phone still to his ear so Sam could hear. "Joseph Hollingsworth was a thirty-five-year-old farmer who worked to support himself and his wife, Celeste. However, he couldn't work hard enough to support his wife's medical care, who then died from pneumonia. Celeste died during a time when love was in the air and people were getting hitched or announcing they were…"

"What's hitched mean?" asked Mary, interrupting her uncle.

"Means, getting married," Dean answered before continuing. "Family and friends say, Joseph just couldn't take other people being so happy and being able to love someone when he couldn't. Joseph Hollingsworth began killing woman who was married or getting married, letting the other men suffer the pain that he was going through. He would lead the victims over to his house for coffee or dinner, and then use an ax to chop off their heads. Eventually, Joseph Hollingsworth was found and hung for his murderous crimes. He is buried, right by his wife by order of family in Lockwood Pines Cemetery."

"You think he's the one that killed the woman?" Sam asked when Dean was finished reading.

"It matches perfectly with the husband's story and there's a picture of his house, too," he shrugged. Dean turned to his niece and held up his hand to her, "Way to go, Tiger!"

Mary returned the high-five, trying to do it hard.

Dean could hear Sam sigh. "I really wish you two wouldn't bring my little girl into this," he told Dean.

"Look Sam, there's something you should know."

"What's that?" Sam asked.

Dean told him everything their father had told him in the car.

"Wait, did you say her second birthday?" Sam asked when Dean mentioned that part.

"Yeah, why? What's wrong?"

"When Mary turned two, that night, she was screaming out in her sleep, crying as if someone was literally torturing her," he explained. "I couldn't wake her, Mariah couldn't wake her. She just lied there, crying out in pain for what seemed like forever. We didn't know what to do."

John had his ear to the back of Dean's phone. "That had to have been the test to see if Mary was strong enough to handle it. Sam, you have a special child."

"Anyone besides me, notice history seems to be repeating itself?" Dean asked. "Sort of."

Out of nowhere, the four of them heard clapping coming from the bed John had been sitting on. "You boys are smarter than you look. My Father was right to choose you to lead the army. Anyway, yes, when Mary was two, she was initiated to hold the key to Pyro's cage. Trust me, this great power is very powerful, indeed. Only one other was able to survive from it and that kid only last until he was nine."

"Did it kill him eventually?" Dean asked Mary's angel.

"No, he drowned in a canal, not far from his house," she replied.

"Oh."

"I came to warn you, though that I found a prophesy about this war and it states that Pyro is released from his cage and Mary does not survive this war."

With those words said, Dean's phone fell from his hand, onto the floor. His arm had not moved an inch though as he stared at the angel. Finally, he was able to say, "Come again?"

"I am sorry, I know this is hard to hear about such a young child but I am afraid it's true."

Dean quickly rose to his feet. "How?"

"The prophesy does not specify."

He stepped forward. "You know what I say about your damn prophesy, you can take it and shove it right up your ass! Ever since I was pulled from hell, I heard nothing but prophesies, and my brother and I, we always end up changing them, and there is no way I am letting my niece die."

"I thought Mary was safe with you watching over her," John pointed out, holding his granddaughter now, comforting her.

"It seems the demons somehow sneak pass me, I don't know how," she replied.

"If it's one thing I learned, it's not to trust angels," said Dean. "Mary has us to protect her and we will do everything to make sure she's safe."

The angel shrugged, "You are the chosen hunters. Obviously, they sneak pass you as well, though."

Dean didn't want to hear nothing of it and just like that, she was gone. He sat back down to pick up his phone, putting it to his ear. "Sammy, you still there?"

There was silence for a moment before Sam replied, "Bring her home, now." It was more of an order then a request.

"We will, Sammy, I promise."


	14. Chapter 14

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 14

On the way home, Dean stopped at the cemetery to torch Joseph Hollingsworth's bones. He and John dug up the grave while little Mary held the flashlight. It was already dark; the only other light besides the flashlight was the moon.

Mary could not help but feel frightened. "Are you sure we should be doing this?"

Dean smashed the shovel into the earth, throwing the dirt off to the side. "We have to, Tiger. Otherwise, this thing will just keep killing people."

Mary continued watching her uncle and grandfather as they dug up the grave. She looked around the cemetery, hoping a ghost or a zombie wouldn't pop out of their graves. When she looked back at the grave, she saw what looked like a man in his thirties, wearing overalls and a long-sleeve collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a round hat. In his hands was an ax. "Uncle Dean," she said, backing away.

"What?" Dean looked back, behind him and saw him, too. "Crap." He stepped out of what they have dug up so far and kneeled down to look inside his green duffel. Dean pulled out one of the salt-packed shotguns. "I'll hold ol'Joe off." Dean then led Joseph Hollingsworth away from the grave.

John started digging faster as fast as he could while Mary continued to hold the flashlight for him. After what seemed like forever to Mary, John reached the coffin and smashed the shovel through it. He then climbed out and handed a salt container to her, telling Mary to pour it all over the corpse. Mary placed the flashlight under her arm to lift the spout before she poured the salt into the grave, covering every inch of it. John poured gasoline next, before he lit a match, dropping it into the hole.

John and Mary watched as the corpse burned up. The smell of gasoline strongly traveled through the air. Mary looked around, suddenly remembering her uncle. Dean was nowhere to be found.

"Where's Uncle Dean, Grandpa?" Mary's question was soon answered when they heard Dean yell for them. Mary immediately took off at a run, following her uncle's voice.

"MJ, hold on!" John called after his granddaughter. When he realized she wasn't stopping, John ran after her.

Mary ran as fast as her little legs would allow. Since it was dark, she couldn't see where she was going and she fell right into a pit, knocking something down, underneath her.

"Ow," she heard it say.

Mary recognized the voice. "Uncle Dean?"

Dean sat up, rubbing the back of his head as Mary slid from his stomach to his lap. "You okay, Tiger?"

"Yeah, are you?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

John yelled from up above, "You both okay down there?"

"Yeah," Dean called back. "Dad, there's a rope in the trunk!"

"I'll go get it, just hold on," he told them. "Don't move."

"Where are we going to go?" Dean asked but John had already left. He and Mary stood up again. Dean noticed the flashlight Mary had was lying on the ground. He reached down and picked it up, shining it around the pit. When Dean found the shotgun, he picked it up. Mary was clinging to his leg.

A few minutes went by before a rope was lowered down. "Have Mary go up first," came John's voice.

Dean had Mary hold on to the rope, tying it around her waist, and soon, the rope was raised. However, it didn't go back down. "Dad, are you forgetting someone?" Dean called up to his father.

There was no answer.

"Dad! Mary!" he yelled.

"I'm right here, Dean," came John's voice as if he had just ran a marathon. "I'll lower the rope and I'll pull Mary up first!"

"What are you talking about, you already pulled Mary up," Dean called back.

"Dean, I just got here!"

Dean could not believe what he just heard. "But I heard you…Never mind, just lower the rope so I can get up!"

John dropped the rope into the pit and Dean tossed the flashlight and shotgun up first, and climbed up the side as he held onto it. Once he was out of the pit, Dean quickly scanned the area.

He cupped his hands around his mouth. "Mary! Mary, where are you?!" Dean grew anxious when he heard no response. He and John searched everywhere but there was no sign of Mary anywhere. "Mary!"

"She's gone."

Dean and John sped around on their heels. Mary's angel was standing there.

"It tricked us all by taking your form, John," she explained.

Dean demanded, "Who?"

"One of the demons who had been following her all day."

John then remembered back at the truck stop and cursed himself for not doing anything about it.

"Do you know where it took her?" Dean asked.

The angel shook her head. "I'm afraid not."

His emotions were at record height. "Well you better find out then!"

"I can't do that," she simply stated.

"And why not," Dean asked. "You're supposed to be watching over her, aren't you?"

Castiel and Gabriel appeared. "That was her duty until she switched sides," Gabriel said.

Dean looked at Gabriel, then back at the other angel. "You switched sides?"

Suddenly, the angel went up in flames, changing into a demon like the one before. "So, you both figured it out. Took you long enough," she smirked.

"Where is my niece?" Dean demanded.

"Getting ready to meet her new daddy, I'm sure."

"I swear, you better let her go or I rip you to shreds with my bare hands," he threatened.

The angel just smirked again and with a snap of her fingers, she was gone.

Sam was sitting on the couch, in the living room, looking through a photo album of Mary over the last six years. He had made one for each kid, in order from the day they were born to the present day. Sam stared at each picture as he turned the pages slowly. He was so deep in thought he didn't see his mother sit down beside him.

"Jon's asleep." Sam jumped at his mother's words.

"Thanks, Mom," he said, returning to the album.

"What's that?" Mary Sr. asked him.

"Photo album I made of Mary's childhood so far," he answered, not looking back up. Sam turned the page.

Mary Sr. pointed at a picture of a younger little Mary sitting on Dean's shoulders, both smiling at the camera, with a tiger in the background.

Sam smiled. "That was one of our family trips to the zoo."

"Do you guys go often?" she asked.

"Not really, maybe once during spring and summer break," Sam replied.

Sam continued turning the pages. There were Christmas and birthday photos, photos of him with his daughter, but the majority was little Mary with her uncle.

Mary Sr. noticed. "Mary really loves her uncle, doesn't she," she smiled.

"Yes, she does. I'll tell ya, I was very grateful the day Dean moved in with us. Jon was able to have someone teach him about cars, Mary came out of her shell. I got a non-paid babysitter."

"Was Dean hunting full-time before?" she asked.

"Uh, pretty much, after we saved the world for the umpteenth time, I decided to quit hunting and went back to school." Sam told his mother the whole story, including finding out Mariah was a witch and Dean having to shoot her. "Because of Dean having to do that, Mary hated him for a couple days. She didn't understand her mother was bad."

"What made Mary forgive him?"

"I was at work, but I guess Dean had a talk with her. He explained in terms she could understand."

As Sam turned another page, his cellphone rang from inside his pocket. He reached inside and pulled it out and saw it was Dean calling. Sam answered it, "Hey, are you on your way home?"

"Sam…" There was a pause and Sam could sense something was wrong.

"What is it, Dean?" he asked. "It's not Mary, is it?"

Dean hesitated before he said, yes. "The son of a bitch that's been stalking her took on Dad's form and tricked us. It kidnapped her. On top of that, Mary's so-called angel tricked us as well."

Sam was on the edge of the couch, the photo album falling to the floor.

"Cas and Gabriel are looking for her at the moment," Dean continued. "Dad and I are on our way home. This so-called war seems like it's gonna start soon so get ready."

Sam stared down at the page the photo album was open to. He stared at a picture of Mary, holding a Wii remote and nunchuk, while standing where Sam was sitting now. Mary was smiling at the camera. A tear escaped his eye.

Dean, knowing his brother, said, "Look, we'll get her back, alright?"

Sam hung up the phone.

"Sammy, what happened?" his mother asked, concerned.

Sam continued to stare down at the photo. "They took her."


	15. Chapter 15

**Fair warning: There is harm to a child in this chapter. If that makes you uncomfortable, feel free to skip this chapter. **

**A Winchester Story **

Chapter 15

Little Mary opened her eyes, unable to move her arms and feet. She lifted her head to see they were tied down to a table. The last thing she could remember was being pulled up from the pit by her grandfather. Where she was now, Mary wasn't sure.

"Uncle Dean? Grandpa?" she called out.

No answer.

Mary grew terrified. She tried to pull her arms out from the ropes binding her wrists but it only tightened them, digging into her skin. Tears started pouring from her eyes as she whispered, "Daddy, Uncle Dean, Grandpa…where are you?" Mary started singing "You Raise Me Up" to herself until she heard movement from outside the door.

The doorknob moved down and was pushed open. Mary tried to see who it was but couldn't move her head up that high to see behind her. The door closed again and footsteps moved closer to her. Mary looked up to see the man from the truck stop, standing there, looking down at her, grinning.

"I see you're awake," he said.

"Where's my uncle Dean and grandpa?" Mary demanded, trying to sound brave but fear still apparent in her voice.

The man shook his head, slowly. "Didn't your mommy and daddy teach you how to speak to your elders?"

"My mom is dead," she replied.

"Oh, that's right, dear ol'Uncle Dean had to kill her," he smiled, evilly.

Mary's heart skipped a beat. "Uncle Dean wouldn't do that."

"Of course, you were three, weren't you, so you don't remember your mom kidnapping you and your brother and beating your brother, black and blue."

"My mom beat up Jon?" Suddenly, bits of memory rushed through Mary's little mind reliving moments of meeting her uncle for the first time, her mother kidnapping her and Jonathan, seeing Jonathan all bruised up, and ending with the sound of a gunshot and seeing Mariah on the floor in a puddle of blood. More tears appeared on Mary's face.

"That's it, let all that emotion out so my master could come out and play," he smirked.

Mary stared up at him. "My uncle Dean will kick your ass!" And she spit up at him.

The man wiped away the saliva from his face. Angry, he slapped the child in the face. Mary cried out from the pain.

The demon that showed up at the Winchester household and Mary's angel walked in the room. "That's enough, Agramon," the demon ordered.

"Yes, Commander Adramalech," he said, backing away from the table.

The demon walked up to the table, in his human form. Mary recognized him, at once. "You were at my house before," she sniffed.

"Yes I was and now that we have you, my master can now be released from his prison and we can finish what we started. The demon, Adramalech suddenly transformed into his true form.

Mary grew terrified again as she stared up at him. She then blurted out, "Uncle Cassie!" remembering that where ever she was, all she had to do was call out for Castiel and he was able to appear there.

"Quick, don't let him near her!" Adramalech ordered Agramon and the angel-turned-demon. They were ready when Castiel appeared, followed by Gabriel.

"Get away from her!" Castiel ordered of the demon.

The angel-turned-demon shook her head at Castiel. "You're in no position to be giving orders, little bro."

"Why are you doing this, Haniel?" he asked of her.

"Don't you ever get bored of humans, Castiel?" she shrugged. "Besides, my name isn't Haniel anymore. It's Ahriman."

"So, you think you're all big and bad because you have a new name and look, huh?" Gabriel laughed.

"Shut up!" Ahriman shot Gabriel back against the wall. "If I remember, you quit the life of an angel, as well."

Gabriel slowly got back to his feet. "I didn't become a demon, though."

"You did kill people," Castiel pointed out.

"Cas, who's side are you on?" he asked him. "Plus, you did, too!"

A blood-curding scream got their attention. Ahriman's plan all along was to distract the angels from Mary. Adramalech was now slicing his long claw across the inside of her left arm, holding a bowl underneath to catch the blood.

Castiel tried to raise his hand to knock the demon away from Mary, but was sent flying back, beside Gabriel. With a snap of Ahriman's fingers, invisible binds were wrapped around the two angels, knocking Gabriel down again.

All they could do was watch as Adramalech collected Mary's blood and placed the bowl on her stomach. He then started chanting in a strange, unknown language, raising his hands to the ceiling.

Mary looked over at Castiel with tears pouring down her face. "Uncle Cassie," she cried, softly. Eyes of sorrow met each other. Unexpectedly, a jolt of pain ran through her body and Mary cried out again.

Castiel tried to break free from his binds but it was useless. "Let her go!" His command only fell on deaf ears.

Mary had her eyes and fists shut tight. "Please stop! No more! Please make it stop!" she pleaded over and over again. The pain was unbearable. A pain so badly, you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy, much less a six-year-old.

A swirling, black cloud appeared over Mary. Just as thunder started rumbling a man with blond, short hair and a blue collared, buttoned up shirt and jeans appeared behind Adramalech, and stabbed him in the back with a knife. Light shot out of Adramalech's eyes and mouth before he vanished into smoke.

The mysterious man quickly undid Mary, Castiel, and Gabriel's binds without even touching them. Ahriman and Agramon backed away, to the side as Castiel hurried to his niece's side. He shoved the bowl away and brought Mary towards him, looking at the mysterious man. "Michael, I never thought I would be glad to see you."

"Sorry about being late, I didn't catch scent until now," he replied.

"Well, too bad!" exclaimed Agramon. "Just look above you!"

The angels looked up to see a bigger and scarier version of the demons. They stepped back as the demon was lowered and eventually stood on the table. He opened what should have been eyes, but instead was flames.

Mary looked back, in Castiel's arms and remembered the demon's outline from her dream before she shoved her face into Castiel's shoulder.

"It's so good to be out of there," the demon king, Pyro stretched. "Millions of years in a clamped cage can do a number on your back." He stretched his back until it made a very loud, annoying, popping sound. That's when he noticed Adramalech gone. "Agramon, where is Adramalech?" he ordered of him.

Agramon pointed over at Michael. "He killed him."

Pyro shot a look over at the angels, raising a hand. A fiery ball of light appeared, and just as he threw it, they disappeared.

Meanwhile, Sam was pacing back and forth, a nervous wreck. Dean was sitting in his chair, running his hands along his hair. John comforted Mary Sr. on the couch and Bobby sat in the armchair across from Dean. They were trying to figure out what to do while waiting for word from Castiel and Gabriel. Every ten minutes, Sam would head upstairs to check on Jonathan, who was sleeping every time.

"I should have made sure first." Dean had been beating himself up about Mary being kidnapped since he and John left the cemetery.

Sam abruptly stopped pacing to look at his brother. "You shouldn't have taken her in the first place!"

Dean lifted his head at Sam. "It was Dad's idea!" he argued.

"You could have backed me up, Dean!" Sam argued in return.

"That's enough, both of you!" John bellowed at his sons. "It could have happened where ever MJ was. It's no one's fault, got it?"

"John's right," Bobby agreed. "Our regular demons were pretty slick, and these guys are supposed to be higher in rank. Mary could have been snatched from her own bed if those demons wanted to."

Sam looked away. He didn't want to admit his father and Bobby were right. Even if little Mary had stayed with him, she possibly still had been kidnapped and it would be Sam beating himself up over it. "I just want my little girl back," he said in a low voice, still loud enough where everyone could hear.

"So do I, Sammy," said Dean.

As if on cue, the angels appeared beside where Sam stood. Sam noticed Castiel was holding little Mary in his arms.

Sam felt so relieved, heading over to Castiel. "Cas, you got her back. Thank you so much." He took his daughter from the angel, who immediately latched onto his neck. Sam felt something warm and wet and unlatched Mary's left arm, looking at it. "Someone get me a washcloth and bandages!"

Mary Sr. with her motherly instincts was the first to respond to her son's request. She headed upstairs to the hall bathroom.

He turned back to the angels. "What happened?"

Michael was the one to speak. "Pyro has been released from his cage," he explained.

"Using my daughter in the process?"

Michael nodded. "I wish I could have gotten there sooner, but at least we got her out of there before Pyro could turn her into one of him so the prophesy is already changed a little."

Mary was crying into her father's shoulder. "It really hurt, Daddy. It felt like Pikachu was shocking me, over and over again."

"Shh, shh, it's over now. I'm here, I've got you," Sam comforted her.

Mary Sr. returned with a washcloth and a first-aid kit. Sam carried his daughter over to the kitchen sink and sat her beside it. He wet the washcloth under warm water and wrung it out before wiping away the blood on her arm. The gash was wider then a knife cut, like Mary's arm was cut open. Once Sam was finished, he opened the first-aid kit and took out a roll of gauze, wrapping it around her arm several times.

"Mom, could you get me a pair of scissors that's in that drawer?" Sam asked his mother, who was watching, horrified, nodding at the far drawer on his left side.

Mary Sr. opened the drawer of random stuff and picked up a pair of red-handled scissors, handing them to her son.

Sam thanked her and used the scissors to cut off the extra gauze. Holding the gauze in one hand, Sam grabbed a roll of medical tape. Making sure the gauze was tight enough, he wrapped little Mary's arm over the gauze and used the scissors to cut off the extra tape, as well. "Do you hurt anywhere else?"

"My insides feel like they're on fire," little Mary replied.

Sam lifted her up again. "Maybe a bath will help" and he carried her up the stairs to the bathroom. Sam then gave her a bath, careful not to get her bandage wet.

Once Mary was bathed, she leaned her head on the edge of the tub. Sam leaned his head against hers. "That was the most I've ever been scared, Daddy."

Sam was rubbing her upper, right arm, up and down. "Yeah?"

"I thought I was gonna die and that I would never see you, or Uncle Dean, or Jon again. Uncle Cassie came when I called, but they did something to him to where he couldn't move." Mary looked up at her father with just her eyes. "I thought my angel was supposed to protect me?"

"We all did, but she tricked us," Sam told her.

"Can I please sleep with you, Daddy?" she asked, using her sad, puppy-dog look. "I tried to be brave all day. Really, I have."

"You bet you can." Sam kissed her forehead.

Once little Mary's sore body had time to soak, Sam got her out and helped dry her off. In her bedroom, he got her a pair of clean underwear and her Pokémon pajamas, letting Mary dress herself.

Mary grabbed Snivy from her pillow and went over to her father, who lifted her up, into his arms again. Sam checked on his son again, who was still sleeping soundly, unharmed, before carrying his daughter back downstairs. Sam walked into the family room and asked Bobby if he could sit in the chair since it rocked. Bobby was more than willing to give up his seat. Just as Sam was about to sit down, Dean had asked him if he could hold Mary. Sam felt uneasy about letting her go, but let Dean take her, anyway. Dean sat back in his recliner, letting Mary lay on his left shoulder as he rubbed her back, the footrest up.

"So," Bobby began, sitting on the arm of the couch near Dean, his arms folded across his chest, "any ideas on stopping this thing?"

The room of hunters and angels could only shrug their shoulders.

"Like I mentioned earlier," said Dean, "history seems to be repeating itself. If we can't kill it, maybe locking it back inside its cage will work like it did with Lucifer."

"What about its demon followers?" John pointed out. "They'll just keep trying to kidnap MJ and release it back out again."

Michael pulled out his knife he had used to kill Adramalech, making copies appear by everyone else. "These can kill them," he explained.

Sam was examining his knife. "Can it kill Pyro?"

"No, they can only kill his followers. In fact, your best bet would be to go with Dean's idea. I haven't found a way to kill Pyro yet."

"We should probably get at least some rest," Castiel spoke up from behind John's seat on the other end of the couch. "I'm sure Pyro will eventually find us."

Sam spoke up, too. "Then we will find him, first thing tomorrow morning and end this, once and for all."

Everyone was surprised by Sam's words. The whole time, he had been trying to avoid anything to do with hunting and the supernatural. Now all of a sudden, Sam wanted to fight, willingly. He was a father after all who just wanted to protect his kids.

They agreed.

Sam took his daughter back, who had fallen asleep on Dean's chest, and took her upstairs to his bedroom, checking on Jonathan one last time. He laid Mary on his bed and changed into his pajamas as fast as he could in his bathroom, not wanting to leave her unattended for too long. Flicking off the light, he laid in bed beside his daughter and fell asleep, holding her close to him.


	16. Chapter 16

**I am SO sorry it took me this long to update. I had so much trouble with how to plan out the final battle that eventually I kind of forgot about this story. But here it is, chapter sixteen! :) Hopefully it'll be worth the long wait. There will be one last chapter after this one before I finish this all together. Hope you enjoy! :)**

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 16

Everyone prepared for the huge war, getting every weapon they had together, packing the trunks of their vehicles. More hunters had joined them as well, glad they were back. John's friends, Caleb and Jim Murphy had pulled up to the house after they had been searching everywhere for the Winchesters. Not only that but Castiel had found Ellen and Jo when he and Gabriel went in search for any of their other friends who could be back from the dead.

Dean couldn't be any more happier once he saw them, especially Jo and embraced them in a hug. Rufus pulled up in a pick-up truck as Dean and Jo was just finishing up their hug, and stepped out of the driver's side. Dean and Sam were not happy to see who had gotten out of the other side though. Stepping out, onto the gravel was none other than Samuel Campbell, their grandfather.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Dean demanded as the men walked over to the group.

"You watch your tone with me, boy," Samuel growled at his grandson. "We were told to come here and help fight a battle." He happened to look over and saw John standing at the back of his own truck. "Winchester," Samuel scowled at him, not pleased to see him there, either.

"Samuel," John stared back, also not happy to see his father-in-law there.

Bobby broke the awkward tension, exchanging handshakes with his friend, "Hey, Rufus. Glad to see you're with us again."

Rufus shrugged, "It was either fight this battle or not have another chance at life. Living sounds better."

The rest of the group exchanged greetings with Rufus.

Samuel just demanded where his daughter was. "I was told she was alive as well," he told them.

"Mom's inside the house with the kids," Sam told him, stiffly.

Samuel looked among the other hunters. "What brainless idiot brought children into this mess?"

"Oh, you mean besides you?" Dean reminded him, bitterly and a little cold towards the man. "They're my niece and nephew and they are not dragged into this. My nephew doesn't even know what we're doing, right now."

"And your niece does?" he questioned him.

"Unfortunately," Dean replied.

"So she's the key we heard of then?" Samuel took a wild guess.

It was Sam who responded, "Yes. But she's not gonna be fighting with us. Not if I can help it."

Samuel looked over at his youngest grandson and then stormed away, heading inside the house. The only thing on his mind was finally seeing his daughter again.

Once everything was good to go and the game plan was laid out, the hunters got into a vehicle. Even against Dean and Bobby's better judgment, Garth joined them, too. The rest agreed they could use all the help they could get.

Dean led the way in the Impala, cruising fast down the road, headed to the warehouse that little Mary had been taken to. They had to start somewhere and the warehouse seemed like the logical choice.

Dean noticed Sam was staring out his window, in a daze. "Don't worry, Sammy," he assured his little brother, "we're gonna gank those sonsofbitches for what they did to Mary."

Sam continued staring out the window. "I know," he sighed. "I'm just worried about leaving her and Jon behind."

"Just don't think that way, all right? Mom's there. The kids know to call out Cas' or Gabriel's name if they're in any danger."

Sam looked down, "I still can't shake thinking about them. I mean, we were so close to losing Mary, last night."

Dean gripped the top of the steering wheel in his left hand, staring ahead. "I can't stop worryin' about them either. This whole mess we've gotten ourselves into…even after… I can't stop thinking about any of it."

Sam finally looked over at his brother. "About what?"

"The fact that it's been too quiet for over a decade and all I had to deal with was smalltime monsters I could take in my sleep. Now, all of a sudden we're thrown back into war. And now, we have all our family and friends back. I mean, if the angels or whoever could do something like that then why the hell couldn't they have done that in the first place."

"Well, for one, most angels are dicks," Sam pointed out.

"And what?" Dean continued his rant. "Suddenly, the angels think Michael and Lucifer's vessels have gotten weak and old now, that they have to send in more hunters?"

"Dean, remember what Mary's angel said, these things are stronger and tougher than the demons we're used to. You haven't seen them yet. The things don't even need vessels to possess. They look like something out of Jon's video games."

"Right, right," he said.

Sam shrugged after a while, "Do you think we can beat'em, Dean?"

Dean shrugged, too, "We've taken on everything else and came out alive," and looked over at his brother.

"You mean, one of us always makes it out alive," Sam corrected. "And that's what I'm mostly afraid of. What if we do win but one of us dies?"

"Well, I'll just make sure if one of us does get killed, it'll be me."

Sam looked at his brother like he had lost his mind, "Dean, you still don't care about yourself? Even with having a young niece and nephew who love you?"

Dean looked at him, still keeping focus on the road from the corner of his eye, his voice louder. "That's exactly my point, Sam. I am not letting my niece and nephew grow up, fatherless. They already lost their mom, I'm not gonna let Jon and Mary lose their dad, too. Not on my watch."

"What about their uncle, Dean?" Sam asked of him.

He looked away and out his window before staring ahead. "They need their dad a lot more than they need their uncle," Dean mumbled but Sam still caught it.

"Really. That's what's you think?"

Dean glanced over at Sam. "Yup," was all he responded.

"Dean, you mean a lot to those kids just as much as I do," Sam told him. "Jon has you to talk about cars and sports with. Stuff I never could hold a two-sided conversation with. And Mary, you brought her out of her shell. I was never able to do that. Those kids look up to you, Dean just like I did. They love me but they worship you. You're Mary's hero, for Christ's sake. Maybe even Jon's."

Sam's words sunk into his mind as Dean drove down the highway. It was all true, yes and Dean did realize that. But he wasn't about to let his little brother get killed. Not just for the kids, but because it was still his job to look out for Sam. Dean didn't want to leave Jonathan and Mary, uncleless but the better choice was for them to have their father in their lives not him. Even if it pained Dean to no end.

It was a four hour drive to the warehouse. They pulled up to the old, deserted-looking place and stepped out, staring at it. Castiel, Gabriel, and Michael went on ahead to check the place out first, appearing out in the parking lot again.

"Well?" Dean asked, hopeful.

Castiel shook his head. "They're gone."

Dean hit the top of the Impala in frustration. "Damn it," he mumbled.

"You really think those demons are gonna stay in one place?" Samuel asked of his oldest grandson.

Dean ignored the man. He knew that but a guy could hope, right?

Jo asked, "So now what?"

"We've just gotta pick up a trail or something," he shrugged at her.

"Problem," Gabriel spoke up. "The place is wiped clean. It's as if the demons were never there."

"Gabriel's right, there's no trail to follow," Michael agreed.

"Then we'll split up," John shrugged. "Cover more ground that way."

"No. No one's splitting up," Dean told them. "We either stay together or don't do this at all."

"What else can we do, Dean?" he asked of his oldest son. "We don't have any leads and the demons could be anywhere, doing God knows what."

"If we stay together, we have a better chance of surviving and taking these suckers down." Dean looked around the group. "Anyone else objects to that?"

Everyone was quiet. The wind was blowing a little more than a gentle breeze.

Samuel spoke up, "I'd hate to have to agree with John but he's right, we might find them faster if we split up. If someone does catch wind of the demons, they can call the rest of us."

Sam spoke up, this time, leaning his forearms on top of the Impala, "What if the rest of us can't get there on time?"

"Look." Dean looked around at the other hunters. "I lost each and every one of you once. I am not about to let that happen again. We are staying together. Do you understand me?" Out of habit, he was using his stern uncle voice he normally used with Jonathan and Mary. Sam had to point that out to him. "Sorry," Dean apologized, "living and dealing with kids for a few years does that to a guy. But still, we're not splitting up. Okay?"

The rest of the hunters agreed, understanding where Dean was coming from. None of them were even sure if they would be alive after all this was over, even if by a miracle they survived the demons. They had to at least try.

Finally, it was Ellen who noticed that Castiel was gone. Both Sam and Dean panicked at that realization. If Castiel had vanished without question that must meant one of the kids had called out to the angel. They waited, patiently as possible for Castiel to return.

When Castiel did return, he told them that he had found the demons. They were back at the place where the hunters had started. Back home. And they had little Mary again.

Without a thought, the hunters quickly got back inside their vehicles and turned around, heading back to the Winchester house. Dean was basically flooring the gas petal, going as fast as he could. No one said a thing on the way home. Not once. Or rather, Sam and Dean didn't. Their focus was on the kids and killing those demons once and for all.

With the increased speed, the hunters returned in half the time from before, pulling up to the house where the demons were lined up, outside. Sam and Dean were the first ones out of their car as they gripped the knives Michael had given them, tightly in their hands.

Pyro stood in the center, his arms folded across his chest, grinning, evilly at the hunters. "Hello, boys," he greeted them. "It's about time you got back."

Sam clenched his other fist at his side, along with the one holding the knife. "I swear. If you had harmed any of my kids or my mother, I will kill you with my bare hands," he threatened, coldly.

"Don't worry. Mom and little Jonny are tucked away inside the house, safe and sound."

Sam continued to stare at the demon. "What about my daughter?" he demanded.

"Oh, she's fine. Better, actually. Little one, why don't you show Daddy your new look?"

Two demons stepped to the side to let another demon through. This one was a foot shorter than the rest but looked just the same.

Sam and Dean stared at it. Sam shook his head, "No. No. No. That can't be my daughter."

Pyro sneered at him, "But it is. This is your daughter's true form. She was destined for this, along with the children born before her."

Dean stared at his niece in utter shock and fear. That wasn't the little girl he knew and loved. That wasn't the little girl he cuddled up with and wrestled with. That monster wasn't his niece, it just couldn't be. Dean looked over at his brother.

Sam stood there, just as shocked and afraid as he was. But soon the shock and fear turned into anger. "You selfish, demon bastard!" he blurted out at Pyro. "I'm gonna kill you!"

"Before you can get to me, you're going to have to go through her." Pyro turned his attention to little Mary, "Mary, why don't you show your father your true power?"

Suddenly, little Mary lunged towards her father, knocking him onto his back, with a large clawed hand. Sam was now bleeding all across his front. Sam looked up at his daughter, his heart breaking the thought of his own daughter attacking him.

John then gave the order to attack and the battle was on. Each hunter took a demon and went head to head, fighting. Once a hunter got a stab in, killing a demon, they moved on to the next.

Sam tried to plead with little Mary, trying to get her to remember him. "Mary, you don't have to do this," he told her before he had to roll out of the way of her claws. He rolled to his feet, still gripping his knife, having no intention of using it with his daughter. "Mary, listen to me. It's me. It's Daddy. Snap out of it!"

Sam dodged as Mary kept up with slashing at him, not one of them backing down or giving in. He could feel his emotions rise up as he continued pleading with her. "Remember, Mary. We're a family. All of us. Uncle Dean. Jon. We've always been there for one another. We love you, Mary. Please! Snap out of it!"

Mary stopped for a split second but that was only to backflip back and powered up a fiery ball of light, sending it at him. Sam leaped to the side, barely dodging out of the way and rolled in the dirt. He ended up on his back again and tried to sit up but was pinned to the ground. Mary stood over her father, one clawed hand on his collarbone while the other powered up another fiery ball of light.

Sam held onto her scaly arm, trying to push it away. "Fight it, Mary!" he told her. "I know you can. You know who you are. You're Mary Joanne Winchester! You're not a monster, Mary! Fight it!"

The ball hovering in her hand stopped growing suddenly as Mary stared into her father's face. Flashes of memories zipped through her mind of the two of them together and another voice turned her head to look behind her.

It was Dean standing there, all bloodied up and still holding his own knife. "Remember who you are, Tiger!" he yelled at her. "You don't want to kill your own father and we don't want to kill you. We love you. You're my little tiger, remember?"

More memories flashed through her mind, making Mary step back from her father. Sam sat up as she held her head in both hands, hunched over.

Pyro, who had been watching the battle from a distance called out, "Don't listen to them, Mary. Finish them off now!"

Mary was still remembering her family until he got fed up and did it himself. Pyro quickly ripped across both brothers as they cried out in pain. Once she heard their cries that did it and something came over Mary. She charged at Pyro with all her might and soon the two of them were going head to head.

Sam and Dean watched as they lied on the ground, bleeding and in pain. The hunters finished killing off Pyro's minions first. John hurried over to his boys, kneeling beside them before looking over at his granddaughter.

In fact, everyone was watching. Dread and fear for what could possibly happen. Could little, six-year-old Mary actually kill what is supposed to be the most powerful demon ever?

Dean was sitting up, on his legs. Jo hurried over and helped him up while John helped Sam to his feet. Sam and Dean continued to watch as Mary tore at and shot balls of fire at the demon. It pained the brothers to know their little girl was in a fight like this. That the fact was, fate may have rested on her shoulders. Mary did share the bloodline after all and the key to letting Pyro out of his cage in the first place. Who's to say she might have been the one who could kill him, as well.

Suddenly, Mary was sent, flying back. Sam shoved away from his father, who was holding him up and limped over to his daughter's side as fast as he could, falling to his knees beside her.

"Mary, talk to me. Anything, please," he told her.

Mary opened her eye sockets and stared up at her father for a long time. "Daddy."

It sounded weird to Sam hearing such a demonic voice say that to him but he nodded anyway. "I'm here, Mary. I'm right here. Just like I always am."

Mary jumped to her feet, feeling a burst of energy, and held one clawed hand out towards Pyro, closing her eye sockets. Sam watched, looking back and forth between his daughter and the demon.

Pyro was then brought down to his knees, sounding like someone was choking him to death. He struggled against Mary, making her work twice as hard. If Sam didn't know any better, he swore she was doing the exact same thing he used to do when he was still hyped up on demon blood. Pyro managed to scream out and soon light was shooting out of his eye sockets, nostrils, and mouth. After what seemed like forever, Pyro then exploded into black smoke and disintegrated into thin air.

Mary fell down to her knees once Pyro was gone and collapsed onto the ground. The same bright light from inside Pyro shot out from her eye sockets, nostrils, and mouth as well. Only instead of disintegrating, Mary was now her normal, six-year-old human self again.

Sam moved a little closer and lifted her into his arms, turning her over. "Mary?" he asked, worry apparent in his voice. "Mary, talk to me. Please say something. Anything."

Dean pushed away from Jo and limped over to his brother, falling beside him on his left-hand side. "Tiger?" he asked, swallowing a lump in his throat.

Everyone scooted in, closer, hoping Mary would be okay. They were in so much shock how one little girl could become such a terrifying monster and then defeat something like Pyro. Sam held his daughter in his right arm, brushing some hair behind her right ear with his other hand.

"Mary, please wake up. Please… Please don't…" Tears built up in Sam's eyes, along with Dean's and ran down both sides of their faces.

Slowly, Mary opened her eyes, making relief wash over her father. "Daddy," she managed to muster out and looked over at her uncle, who had his head down. "Uncle Dean."

Dean lifted his head upon hearing his niece say his name.

"Did I… Was I big, brave girl?" she asked.

Sam and Dean smiled at the little girl through their tears. Sam sniffed back the rest of his, "You bet."

At that, a smile appeared on her face and she closed her eyes once more, falling asleep in her father's arms, exhausted.


	17. Chapter 17

**So sorry for the delay! I never intended on getting this out a week after chapter sixteen. It was supposed to go up the day after but I finally had found a job this past week and it gets me up early in the morning and I'm exhausted by the time I get home. But finally, here is the last chapter to "Going Back to Old Ways"!**

**A Winchester Story**

Chapter 17

"What the hell?" Dean exclaimed, outraged. "What do you mean they have to go back?"

It was the very next day, not long after the hunters had finished celebrating Pyro's defeat by having a barbeque where John was finally able to cook little Mary's deer, and Michael had just dropped the horrible news on everyone that it was indeed temporarily. All the hunters who had returned, was going back.

"Look, I am sorry I have to do this but I have no choice. All of you are rightfully dead. There is nothing I can do," Michael explained.

"The hell there is," he shot back. "How can you give us back our family and friends, and just rip'em from us?"

"The command was to bring back all the hunters who were killed until Pyro and his demon followers were defeated. As long as they were around, everyone was fine."

"So you're just going to kill us?" John demanded, outraged as well.

"I'm sorry but I am just following orders," Michael told them.

"Yeah? Well, you can take that apology and shove it right up your feathery ass!" said Dean.

Michael did not flinch at Dean's remark. He just stared at him and said, "Say your good-byes so I may set things right." With that, Michael was gone.

Dean mumbled a few choice words under his breath at the ground. Jonathan and little Mary were out there as well. Jonathan had been playing catch with John when Michael had showed up in the first place.

"So Grandpa and Grandma were dead like you said, Dad?" Jonathan asked his father.

Sam looked back at his son, sadly. "Yeah, Jon. Afraid so."

"I don't want Grandma and Grandpa to leave," little Mary protested.

"We don't want to go, either, sweetheart," Mary Sr. told her.

"This is unfair," she said.

Dean ran his hand along his face. "Couldn't agree more, Tiger," he agreed.

Everyone said their reluctant good-byes and passed around hugs. John felt badly for promising Jonathan they would do something and it turned out he couldn't follow through. Jonathan was old enough to understand that it wasn't his grandfather's fault. It was quite lucky that he still was not exposed to the supernatural since he was up in his room when his grandmother was forced to go up and stay there. At least one kid didn't have to know about what lurks out there in the shadows, for now.

"The next homerun I make, Grandpa," Jonathan was telling him, "It will be for you and Grandma."

John smiled at the boy, "Better make it a good one then," he teased.

"Oh, don't worry. It will be."

John ruffled the boy's hair and turned towards little Mary who had just gotten done hugging her grandmother, picking her up, into his arms. Little Mary wrapped her arms around her grandfather's neck, tightly.

"Thank you for teaching me, Grandpa, and for taking me hunting," she told him.

"You're welcome, MJ." John kissed the side of her forehead. "Hope you get your dog, someday soon."

Little Mary lifted her head to look at her grandfather. "You know I want a dog?" she asked, surprised.

He nodded, "Your dad showed me the picture you grew in school, outside your classroom."

"Did you like it?"

John nodded, "Sure did." When Jonathan and Mary Sr. was finished talking, John called him back over and put his hand on the boy's left shoulder. "I want to let both of you know," he began, "how bright kids you are. You both have so much Winchester in you and I want to let you know how proud I am of you."

"We both are," Mary Sr. smiled, behind Jonathan.

"No matter what happens, just be yourselves. Okay?" John finished. "Be a kid."

Both kids nodded at their grandfather and hugged him once more. John put little Mary down and she and Jonathan gave Mary Sr. one last hug as Dean walked over to them.

"Jon, Mary, I want a word alone with your grandparents for a sec. Okay," he told his niece and nephew.

They nodded and walked away.

When they were out of earshot, Dean spoke again, "Dad, before I forget, I just want to say, your dad didn't walk out on you when you were a kid."

John looked at his firstborn, confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Dean then went on to explain about how John's father was a part of a group called _Men of Letters_ and how he escaped to the future in search for John, ending up finding Dean and Sam instead. The hard part for Dean was explaining about how Henry died before he could return to the past.

John was at a loss for words by the time Dean finished. All that time, he thought his father had abandoned him. He wasn't too sure about this _Men of Letters _thing and was kind of glad he missed out on it. Nonetheless, John was thankful that Dean was able to tell him. "Thanks, Dean," he said as Sam walked up, behind Dean. "It's a relief to know the truth now."

Dean shrugged, "I wasn't sure if you've seen him up in heaven or not."

John smiled at his wife before returning to look at his son. "We haven't really seen anyone, actually. We, uh, have our own private heaven tucked away where no one can bother us."

Sam shrugged at his brother, "That explains why Ash couldn't find any hint of Mom and Dad."

Dean agreed.

"Who's Ash?" Mary Sr. asked, curious.

"Another friend of ours we got killed," Sam explained.

There was a brief pause before John changed the subject. "You know, boys, before I knew you were taking care of kids of your own, I wanted to tear you a new one," he explained.

Sam asked, "How so?"

"I caught wind of what you both went through after I died and frankly, I wasn't too pleased to hear about the demon blood, Sam. But you both saved the world, numerous times and brought up two smart, beautiful children into the world who are living what I wanted for you. Sam, I just want to tell you that you're doing a great job as their father." John looked over at Dean, "And I never thought you would take charge and be an uncle either. You both are doing great with those kids and I am so proud of you."

Mary Sr. agreed, "So am I. They are wonderful."

Sam couldn't help but smile and blush a little. "Thanks, Mom and Dad."

"Yeah, thanks," Dean added, forcing a grin.

"Just one thing, though," Mary Sr. said. "Dean, take it easy with Mary and her thumb-sucking. I'm sure she'll grow out of it, eventually."

But Dean just shook his head, "No I can't just lay off it, Mom. She's six and still doing it. Mary needs to learn."

John shrugged, "I'm sure after the last week or so, MJ has probably grown up some."

"Hope so."

"And if not," he said. "Smack her hand every time MJ sucks on it. Worked for me."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks of confusion between each other.

"This is hard for you both to believe, I'm sure but at one point, I was a kid, too. After your grandfather left I picked up the habit myself for I think… I think about four months. Eventually, once my teeth started shifting, my mother would smack my hand every time I put it in my mouth," John explained.

Sam had his arms folded across his chest, shaking his head as he smiled.

"What?" John smiled, too.

"So you're the one that passed it along to Mary," he told his father. "Dean and I have actually sat and discussed if Mary had inherited it from someone in our family or her mother's, or just randomly picked up the habit. Never would have guessed it was you."

The four of them laughed before things got serious and they stared at the ground for a while before embracing one another in a group hug. It lasted for a long time before Bobby walked up.

"Hate to break up your _Golden Girls_ moment but Michael is back," he told them, hating the fact the Winchesters were going to be broken up yet again.

The Winchesters let go and turned to face the older hunter then over where the archangel was standing. Stealing one last look at each other, everyone but Sam, Dean, the kids, and Garth vanished. The kids ran over to their father and uncle. Jonathan wrapped his arms around his father's waist which surprised Sam since Jonathan thought he was too old for that, while little Mary jumped into her uncle's arms, hugging his neck.

It was just the four of them again.

**Epilogue**

Sam, Dean, and the kids wandered passed kennels of noisy, barking dogs while Mary tried to decide which dog she wanted. There were several different breeds and sizes of dogs. Mary couldn't decide which one she wanted. On the other hand, Dean wasn't too thrilled to be there and was not looking forward to living with a dog but he'd do anything to make his niece happy.

Jonathan and Mary kneeled in front of a kennel of a grey Pitbull that looked to be two years old. It was lying down in the back of its kennel, on a blanket when Mary called him over. She was sticking her hand through the kennel door.

"Mary, what have I said, twice now about sticking your hand in the cage?" Sam asked of his daughter, standing behind both of them.

Mary pulled her hand back to look up at her father, "But Dad, the thing says, 'good with children.'"

"I don't care, it could still bite. You never know."

"But…" Mary tried to argue until her uncle cut her off.

"Keep arguing with your dad and we will go home with no dog," he scolded his niece.

Mary feeling defeated, gave up and moved on to the next dog. Walking down five kennels from the Pitbull, Mary spotted the dog she wanted. It was a pure white dog that worked like it could be part wolf. It had pointed ears that sat straight up and a long bushy tail that curled around its back. She instantly kneeled down, excited about the dog she had found. The dog had also instantly came to her, panting happily.

"Jon! Come quick!" she called over to her brother. "There's a dog that looks exactly like Ammy!"

Jonathan dashed over to his sister to see for himself, kneeling beside her. Sam and Dean followed, curious themselves. Both men and Jonathan could not believe there was a dog that looked almost exactly like a video game character that wasn't even real.

Mary looked up at her father, "Dad, I want this dog."

Sam asked her, "You sure?"

She nodded as the dog licked the back of her fingers that was holding onto the kennel. Mary turned back to it and laughed. "That tickles," she told the dog who panted some more. Obviously there was an instant connection between the two of them.

Dean went in search for a worker who led them and the dog to a closed in room with a glass window and several toys scattered around so the family could play around with the dog and see if it's the right fit. Turns out, the dog was a girl so Mary had decided to call the dog, Ammy (Arm-me) since she looked like the character from the game her and her brother played together. .

The four of them took turns throwing toys for Ammy, including Dean. Dean hated to admit it, but he sort of did like the dog Mary had picked out. Sam liked Ammy for the simple reason that when Mary started playing, roughly with her, Ammy did not bite or scratch.

After forty minutes of getting to know each other, Sam signed the papers and paid the fee. Since Ammy had already been spaded, they were able to take her home the same day. Mary held the leash as the family walked outside to where Sam had parked his car. Dean felt he rather ride in his brother's car then have a dog ride in the Impala, sticking to his rule of no dogs allowed inside the car.

On the way home, Sam stopped at Petsmart so they could get dog food, toys, a bed even though he could guess that Ammy will end up sleeping in Mary's bed with her, and other things a dog needs. Sam also let Jonathan pick out a pet, too. Even though Ammy was going to be a family pet, he figured Mary would be taking care of her the most. Plus, he figured a pet of Jonathan's own would do him some good.

Jonathan wanted to pick out a snake but Dean drew the line at snakes so he picked out a small, leopard gecko instead.

Once the family was done at Petsmart, they finally went home. Dean helped Jonathan get his leopard gecko situated in his room while Sam and Mary took Ammy for a walk, letting the dog get some fresh air and get to know her new surroundings.

Mary watched Ammy the whole time as the dog sniffed around at the ground and once in a while a tree. Another good thing about where they were living, Sam didn't have to pick up after Ammy.

"You excited, Mary about finally having a dog?" Sam asked his daughter, after a while.

Mary nodded up at her father and hugged his legs. "Thank you so much, Dad for her. I love Ammy so much!"

"I told you I would. Just remember, she's your responsibility," he told her. "Make sure she's fed and watered, and brushed."

"I know," she said.

"After dinner every evening, maybe you and I can take her out for walks together," Sam suggested.

"What about Jon when he doesn't have practice?" Mary asked.

"He can come, too," he replied. "Your uncle says he's thinking about retiring and staying home for good now. So if Jon wanted to, he could stay home."

"Uncle Dean's not hunting anymore?"

Sam shook his head.

"Why?"

"You would have to ask him," Sam shrugged. "But I think it has something to do with what happened. It's getting late, ready to head home yet?"

Mary nodded and the two of them headed back to the house. Dean had ordered pizza yet again, and the family decided to play Wii Sports Resort for the rest of the evening while Ammy explored her new home. Even though it was only for a week, it felt strange to be back to their usual lives. It felt great to have one more opportunity to see John and Mary Sr., Bobby, and the rest of their friends and sad that they had to leave so soon. Things may not be the same for little Mary but at least she had her father, uncle, and brother to make sure she didn't go down the hunter path and in time, she may even forget about what she learned. She was six after all.

Sam was especially glad it was all over. He had tried so hard to shield his kids from everything and tried to keep Mary out of the fight. In the end, it didn't matter and Mary ended up the one who defeated Pyro and possibly saved the whole world. But it was over now and that was all that mattered.

Castiel and Gabriel had returned and joined in the fun. Castiel played against Dean in a sword fight and could not for the life of him figure out a simple game. "So I just… Swing this remote." Dean did not wait until Castiel was ready and knocked his mii off the platform. "You could have waited, you know," Castiel told him, bitterly.

"Uncle Dean never waits," Jonathan explained to the angel. "As soon as the game says go, you have to be ready or he'll knock you off."

Gabriel stood up from the arm of the couch and took the remote from Castiel. Switching to his mii, Gabriel faced off against Dean, himself. Even though Dean was at pro level, Gabriel actually beat him.

Jonathan and Mary were impressed.

"Wow, somebody beat Uncle Dean at sword-fighting," Mary said from where she was sitting on her left leg, on the corner of the coffee table.

"Hey, someone had to bring your uncle down some time," Gabriel smirked.

"That was a lucky shot," Dean told the archangel and demanded a rematch. Gabriel won again and Dean demanded another one. They kept playing for an hour as both kids whined and complained for a turn. Even Sam was starting to get annoyed that Dean and Gabriel kept going at it when it was supposed to be family game night. After losing for the twentieth time, Dean passed it back to his nephew and sat down, his pride destroyed.

Jonathan and Mary had a shoot-out match against each other in basketball. After another half an hour, they switched to Mario Kart and played until it was a little past the kids bedtime.

The End


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